PM for sharing info with US on militancy issues

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today told the visiting US assistant secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs that sharing information is very important to fight militancy and terrorism together.

The Prime Minister said this when assistant secretary Nisha Desai Biswal made a courtesy call on her at Prime Minister's official residence Gonobhaban here.

Pointing out the recent terror attacks in Bangladesh, the Prime Minister expressed her firm resolve that Bangladesh would be able to root out the menace with the support of the people.

"Now people are more conscious and the government is taking necessary measures to find the root cause of involvement of the youth of well-off families in militancy and identify the persons who recruit them for the heinous acts," she told Biswal.

Sheikh Hasina said people of Bangladesh had witnessed bomb explosions in 500 places in 63 districts at a time during the BNP-Jamaat government. But the culprits were brought to book, she said.

Briefing reporters after the courtesy meeting, PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said the Prime Minister reiterated her government's zero tolerance against terrorism to the US official, saying law-enforcement agencies have tackled the situation of Gulshan terror attack very quickly.

Referring to repeated attempts on her life Sheikh Hasina said she has been a victim of terrorism and she has faced the situation several times.

Pointing out the connection of youths with terrorism, she said many youths themselves went missing over years while many local and international human rights agencies put the blame on the government.

Many youths even went into hiding themselves while studying abroad. But the human rights organizations, without going deep into a situation, trade blame game with the government, she added.

Assistant Secretary Nisha Desai observed that the youths are indulging in the atrocities not out of any religious spirit but out of adventurism.

She reiterated that the US government is ready to provide technological support to Bangladesh and necessary training for law-enforcement agencies to strengthen their capacity.

Nisha Desai informed the Prime Minister of her meetings with minister, advisors and other senior officials, saying they have discussed in detail the working plan.

PM's Advisor on International Affairs Dr Gowher Rizvi, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bloom Bernicat, PM's Principal Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and US Embassy in Bangladesh were present.