Keep watch on your children
PM asks parents to ensure their kids not misguided
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged all parents to be vigilant about the movements of their children to prevent them from being radicalised.
“The people of the country are pious, but not bigots. I simply cannot understand why their children who are receiving education in reputed schools and colleges and English medium institutions are turning into bigots,” she said.
The PM was videoconferencing with a cross section of people from 32 districts of Dhaka, Mymensingh, Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions from the Gono Bhaban.
Hasina said it needs to be revealed how the culprits are misguiding meritorious students. “We don't want these students to lay down their valuable lives indiscriminately after getting derailed from the right path.”
She requested the guardians to provide names and addresses of their missing children to the government so that appropriate steps can be taken.
The premier also asked public servants to find out the culprits who are trying to mislead the soft-hearted youths.
Reiterating her resolve not to allow emergence of militancy in the country, the PM said the government does not want any recurrence of the recent terror attacks.
“We won't allow emergence of militancy in the country. We don't want Bangladesh to be the land of militancy…we'll have to take some measurers keeping this view in mind,” she asserted.
She said some unwarranted incidents occurred in Bangladesh and those have to be dealt with strongly.
“Bangladesh has been marching ahead fast under the current government. And this might have stirred jealousy among some quarters. Many don't like to see such a huge development of the country. They want to stop the development. I think this pace of development has prompted a conspiracy against our country.”
Pointing to the two recent militant attacks in the city's Gulshan and Sholakia of Kishoreganj, Hasina said Islam does support barbaric acts like those. It's the militants' attempt to malign Islam which always speaks for peace and fraternity, she added.
“Basically, those who are doing this are putting our holy religion Islam in question.”
The PM said if such militant activities continued it would cause losses to the country and its economy, trade and businesses.
Hasina called for forming committees to trace militants and missing boys, and foil any organised threat by militants. She also urged people to remain careful about the safety and security of foreigners working in various development projects.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan were present, among others.