An international workshop ended in the capital yesterday with a call for working against the financing of terrorism.

The two-day workshop titled 'Countering the financing of terrorism' was organised by Bangladesh Centre for Terrorism Research in collaboration with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) and World-Check.

After the workshop Major General (retd) Muniruzzaman, president of Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), told a press briefing that it was the first professional workshop of its nature in the country.

He said the workshop was organised to help professionals concerned in private and public sectors to work against the financing of terrorism.

Muniruzzaman said it is difficult to combat terrorist groups but they want to make financing for terrorist groups a difficult task.

“Money is a lifeline of any terrorist organisation. They cannot sustain without free flow of money, so we should counter financing of terrorism,” he added.

ICPVTR's Strategic Project Manager Arabinda Acharya and Research Analyst Sujoyini Mandal also spoke at the press briefing.

Arabinda said they have studied that some madrassas in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan and Malaysia are teaching their students radical ideology.

In reply to a question he said they had no study about madrassas in Bangladesh.

Muniruzzaman said they do not have any specific study about the financing of Bangladeshi militant organisations but usually their main sources are donation, charity, business and self-financing through low-level crimes.

He said they are thinking about conducting a survey about madrassa education in Bangladesh with the help of international organisations.

People from financial sectors including bank and insurance companies, officials from foreign ministry, home ministry and finance ministry, Anti-Corruption Commission, and members of law enforcement and intelligence agencies and defence took part in the workshop.

Representatives from the US, the UK and the Russian embassies also attended the workshop.