However, what is more dangerous for a liberal, democratic polity is the space it also opens up for the government in this atmosphere of terror to launch their attack and isolate its political critics. The space for dissent in Bangladesh has been steadily shrinking in the past several years with Sheikh Hasina’s attempt to stifle criticism of her policies. A number of liberals in the country, including well-known journalists and scholars, have been targeted in this move of hers. This trend is likely to grow and may unwittingly, give more space to the Islamic militant groups to expand their influence and win over more sympathizers to their side.