Bangladesh to wipe out extremism: Ziauddin

Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Mohammad Ziauddin said in line with the country’s anti-terrorism 'zero tolerance' policy, it is working emphatically with the US and other alliance countries to wipe out the menace from its soil.

“Bangladesh is working closely with the US and other friendly countries to stamp out violent extremism in pursuance of its anti-terrorism ‘zero tolerance’ policy,” the envoy asserted during a meeting with a US Congressman in Washington DC yesterday, according to a release.

During the meeting with Republican Congressman from California Dana Rohrabacher at Capitol Hill, Ziauddin briefed him on the existing communal harmony in Bangladesh and secular values on which the country has been founded.

The ambassador highlighted the ‘zero tolerance’ policy of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina against all forms of terrorism and violent extremism, the release added.

Dana Rohrabacher is the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.

Ziauddin described the initiatives taken by the current Bangladesh government to contain the menace of terrorism and violent extremism from the society.

He also recalled the brutal assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most members of his family on August 15, 1975, and subsequent usurpation of the state power by military regime and how religious politics crept into Bangladesh.

Congressman Rohrabacher thanked the ambassador for the briefing.

Toufique Hasan, minister (political) of the Bangladesh embassy, was also present during the meeting.