Websites now means of communication for militants

With the crackdown on militant organisations and activities, websites have become the means for militants to spread their ideology and become reorganised, said speakers at a conference yesterday.
They are now using the social network and altering their dress code to avert the eyes of law enforcers, they added.
The conference, “Countering Violent Extremism through Strategic Communications”, was organised by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) and Centre for Civil-Military Relation of USA at a city hotel, attended by representatives of six South Asian nations.
Addressing the programme as the chief guest, prime minister's Security Affairs Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique said the number of militant website now stands at 4,000 but 15 years back it was only 20.
Militancy is being encouraged at home with the use of internet and the madrasa education system, he said.
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena said, “Terrorism is not simply somebody else's problem. It is a threat to each of our countries individually and to all of us collectively as a community of states.”
Those involved in combating militancy must collectively detect and stop the means through which militant ideologies spread, said the speakers.
BEI President Farooq Sobhan presided over the conference where the US centre's Programme Coordinator Paul Clarke also spoke.