Develop tools to combat extremism

Dr Rohan Gunaratna, an international counter-terrorism expert, yesterday called on the government to develop counter-terrorism tools immediately to combat extremism in the country in a proper way.
He warned that the threat of terrorism and extremism would remain in Bangladesh for a long time as the country is surrounded by extremist groups and the extremism-prone countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan are not far away from here.
He also called on the government to work with academicians and intellectuals, clerics and religious organisations to develop counter-terrorism tools to discourage people from becoming extremists.
Dr Rohan, head of International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) at S Rajaratnam School of International Studies under Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, was speaking at a discussion organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) at its auditorium in the city.
BIISS Director General Maj Gen Jiban Kanai Das delivered a welcome address while Chairman of the board of governors of BIISS Ambassador Mufleh R Osmany chaired the discussion attended by security experts and university professors.
Dr Rohan said the security issue of Bangladesh is not only important for its own people, but also for the region and international community because of its geographical position.
He said the terrorist outfits, including the Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HuJI) Bangladesh and Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), are potential threats to the national security.
Lauding the government's action against JMB, he said fighting response is more important than the operation response in tackling terrorism.
Dr Rohan said educational institutions, media, and religious clerics could play a vibrant role in tackling extremism in Bangladesh.
So, the government should build a strategic relationship with the religious organisations, he said.
He also called on the government to keep a close eye on Internet/cyber system to stop the spread of terrorism.