The US envoy yesterday also expressed Washington's willingness to assist Dhaka in investigating the cases involving the recently captured top two JMB masterminds--Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai.

The foreign diplomats highly appreciated the government and the law enforcement agencies for their efforts in capturing the most-wanted militant leaders and called for bringing the perpetrators to justice so that the crimes are not repeated.

Terrorism is never defeated; it needs continued efforts to combat terrors and religious extremists, the diplomats told the media, after an extensive briefing by Morshed at the state guesthouse Padma about the progress in "war on terror" in Bangladesh following the captures of the JMB linchpins. They said the "war" is not yet over.

They also urged the government to make further efforts to arrive at a compromise with the opposition to institutionalise the country's democracy.

State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar was present at the briefing of the heads of foreign missions and international organisations in Dhaka, while Italian Ambassador Pietro Ballero and Japanese Ambassador Matsushiro Horiguchi spoke on behalf of the assembled diplomats. US Charge d'Affaires Judith Chammas, UK High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury and Indian High Commissioner Veena Sikri were also present.

The briefing came a day after the law enforcers had arrested JMJB chief and JMB second-in-command Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai four days into the capture of his Shaekh, JMB supremo Abdur Rahman, ending a long manhunt since the August 17 countrywide terror strike last year.

Emerging from the nearly two-hour lunch briefing, Chammas said, "I think it's a significant achievement... We'll be watching along with all of Bangladesh and international community as the perpetrators are brought to justice."

She said the government of Bangladesh has demonstrated its strong commitment to fighting terrorism by capturing the top JMB kingpins.

"It's also important to see that the investigation is carried out to completion--no matter where it's and sparing no one--and justice be done," she told the press in reply to a question.

"If requested, I'm sure we'll be able to provide assistance," the US envoy said when asked about any US assistance in the investigation into militancy. She also mentioned that the US has already an ongoing assistance programme in Bangladesh in countering terrorism.

Anwar Choudhury called for resolving the remaining terror attacks on May 21 and August 21 in 2004 and other incidents "with equal vigour so we can get some conclusion."

Choudhury, who was a victim, and probably target, of the May 21, 2004 grenade attack in Sylhet, said, "It's also important to remember that terrorism is never defeated in one single stroke," adding he hoped that the current campaign will continue heart and soul so that people feel safe.

Responding to a question, he said, "It's important that investigation is carried out in a transparent way so that people are able to see openly the process of justice and human rights are respected."

"We want to see a sustained results," Choudhury said, adding, "It's an excellent day for countering terrorism in Bangladesh" but also reminding that the "war is not over".

Japanese Ambassador Horiguchi said the foreign minister assured them that the trials will be held in a transparent manner and the perpetrators put to justice to ensure that such crimes do not recur.

"We're looking ahead to the further steps being taken by the government," said Veena Sikri, adding terrorism and religious extremism is a common problem and "all of us have to be together in overcoming this".

MORSHED KHAN'S BRIEFING
Briefing the diplomats, Morshed Khan said the arrests of Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai should leave no doubt in anyone's mind that extremism and hatred have no connection to Islam and no place in Bangladesh.

"The government has fulfilled its pledges to the people to combat terrorism in Bangladesh by putting the JMB and its supporters on the run and bringing the leaders to the book," he said.

Morshed said the actions against the terrorists have not ended here, adding there will be no letup until the last terrorist is held and their network is totally routed.

Turning to the August-17 near-simultaneous bomb blasts across the country by the outlawed JMB, he said the operation was meticulously planned and the intention was to create a countrywide panic, terror and instability to dislodge a democratically elected government.

But, he said, the perpetrators of terror have failed miserable in whatever they had hoped to achieve as they underestimated the commitment of the people of Bangladesh to uphold the values of human rights, democracy and tolerance and their total abhorrence to terror.

Instead of creating panic or fear, the actions of the terrorists and extremists resulted in a wave of anger across the country, Morshed observed. He said the people rallied behind the government to bring the criminals to book and to destroy their terror network.

"The extremists again made the mistake of undermining the will of the government and that of the people as they resorted to a tactics unprecedented in our society--suicide bombing. Judges and magistrates, police and innocent people were targeted," he mentioned.

The foreign minister said the government marshalled all available resources and went after the extremists. Based on sound intelligence and coordination among the law enforcement agencies with all-out support from the people, he said, the leaders of the JMB were caught one by one.

Morshed also mentioned that Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is very firm in eliminating all sorts of terrorism and extremism in the country and described the August 17 serial blasts as an attack on democracy.

Morshed also came down heavily on the opposition. It is unfortunate that some of their leaders chose to take their dissent beyond the frontiers and join the vested interests abroad by participating in conferences and seminars that sought to tarnish the moderate image of Bangladesh by naming the government communal and an abettor of religious extremism, he said.

He alleged, "They [opposition] have rallied with anti-Bangladesh elements abroad to project the present-day Bangladesh as a failed state, with the government projected as an active supporter of harassment and persecution of the people of other religions and everything bad."

In an oblique reference to Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina, he said, "Sensationalism is always sought after by the media and I therefore would not blame them, particularly the western ones, for publishing sensational news, if a responsible leader or personality of our country holding an official position were to tell them all this."

DIPLOMATS ON GOVT-OPPOSITION ISSUE
Bangladesh's development partners urged the government to make "further effort to make a compromise" with the opposition by resolving the pre-election political tangles for further consolidation of the democracy.

"The foreign minister explained the relations with opposition parties. So, I requested the government to make further efforts to make a compromise with the opposition party so that democracy can be further developed," Ambassador Horiguchi, who spoke on behalf of the diplomats, told the media.

On this, Morshed explained, the diplomats expressed their happiness over the developments in the just-ended parliament session where the prime minister proposed a bipartisan committee to resolve the pre-election wrangling.

He said the prime minister perhaps has already finalised the members from the ruling alliance on the committee, adding it can start functioning as soon as the opposition nominates its representatives.

However, in his briefing to the envoys, Morshed said, "The coming elections will have to take place as per provisions of the constitution. To reject it will be a violation of the constitution."

In his written statement, he said, "Some of our friends seem to have been influenced by some apprehensions raised by the opposition that the government has taken certain actions that undermine the autonomy of the Election Commission, pre-empts the neutrality of the Chief Adviser of Caretaker Government, tampering the electoral rolls by leaving out the minority population and so on."

He dismissed these allegations as totally baseless and unfounded, and told the diplomats that the present government cannot hope to return to power by resorting to fraudulent means.

"The formula--if I win the elections are free and if I lose the elections are rigged--cannot be an acceptable option. One has to have faith in the system as it came about through an act of parliament," he added.

Morshed said the government is not intimidated by threats of boycotting the polls unless the reform proposals proposed by the opposition were accepted in entirety. "This is not a proposal but an ultimatum that smacks of arrogance of the minority in parliament."

"An elected government cannot be blackmailed into accepting the unreasonable and the impossible," he said.

However, he said the government is prepared to sit and discuss with the opposition parties to find some common ground for bettering the existing system.

WHAT BABAR SAID
At the briefing, State Minister Lutfozzaman Babar said anti-terror operation has not ended with the captures of Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai. "We're on our job...We never considered it over. It's a continuous process and we'll continue with it," he told reporters after the briefing.

Babar assured the diplomats that the government would go into the root of terrorism and crush the entire network. "We want to get all of it," he was quoted by the British high commissioner as saying.

The state minister said the militants would be tried under the existing laws and the offenders will be given the highest punishment as per the nature of their offences.

Some 229 cases in connection with the August 17 bomb blasts have been filed, he informed. Of them, 52 were filed against Abdur Rahman, 48 against Bangla Bhai and 28 against Ataur Rahman Sunny.

So far, 642 militants have been arrested and some 22 awarded death penalty by speedy tribunals, he told the diplomats.