Extensive measures taken against terrorism

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali yesterday said the government has taken extensive counter and preventive measures against terrorism after the attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in 2016.

“We have undertaken massive awareness programmes to encourage tolerance, inclusiveness and cultural activism in the society involving women, youth and community leaders,” he said while addressing a workshop at a city hotel yesterday.

The workshop, titled “Fostering Peaceful and Inclusive Communities in Bangladesh: The Role of Religious Leaders and Actors”, was organised jointly by the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect and UNDP in partnership with the Save and Serve Foundation in Dhaka.

The focus of the workshop was on the role of religious leaders and actors in Bangladesh in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16 on building just, peaceful and inclusive societies. 

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo and others spoke on the occasion.

The foreign minister said rise of extremism in Bangladesh was primarily motivated by some anti-liberation political elements, but terrorism and targeted killings have only strengthened the government's resolve to eradicate extremism and religious intolerance from society.

Elaborating on the government's awareness programmes, he said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has particularly called on teachers and imams to play lead roles in preventing religious extremism.

Recognising the role of women in ensuring peace, he said the Bangladesh government is currently in the process of developing a national action plan on women, peace and security which will further consolidate women's role in preventing violence and building peaceful communities.

He said people of Bangladesh typically use religious norms in their day-to-day lives and as such religious leaders are highly respected and influential members in their communities. “Their unique positions of trust and respect enable them to provide feedback on any changes at the local level, and communicate local priorities to government officials and development professionals.”

He said the government has also taken an initiative to build 560 mosque-based Islamic cultural centres in district and sub-district levels to promote Islamic values of peace and tolerance among people.

“Building a peaceful and inclusive society, and preventing atrocities and their incitement is a multi-layered endeavour that is most likely to succeed when different actors are working collaboratively with the same objective,” Adama Dieng said.

He believed that religious leaders and actors in Bangladesh and the region can play a fundamental role in this regard and expressed that political support for their work, at regional, national and local levels, is essential. 

Mia Seppo, in her remarks, said every human being should be able to enjoy fundamental human rights in freedom and safety. The UN in Bangladesh is promoting the implementation of the Goal 16.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan in his concluding remarks said, “Peace and development go hand in hand. There can be no peace without development, and no development without peace.”