PM's security beefed up following al-Qaeda threat
PM's security beefed up following al-Qaeda threat
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s security has been beefed up following a threat issued allegedly by al-Qaeda to Bangladesh, the PM’s security adviser said today.
"The security of the prime minister will be increased more later as her life remains under threat," Maj Gen (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique said while talking to reporters after a programme of Bangladesh Navy in Chittagong.
An audiovisual message purported to be from al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has urged the Muslims in Bangladesh to wage an intifada (popular uprising) to confront the “crusader onslaught against Islam”. Posted in Jihadology.net, the message alleged thousands of people were being killed in the streets of Bangladesh for protesting the “collusion of the anti-Islam secular government with a bunch of transgressing secularists”.
Gen Tarique added, "We have identified the location from where the audio message was uploaded but could not identify the person yet."
However, he did not mention the name of the location as the government is investigating the matter.
"Hasina's life remains under threat after her assumption of office of the prime minister since 2009 as she announced zero tolerance to the terrorism during her last tenure," he said.
He also said Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Corporation (BTRC) has already barred the access to the audiovisual message from Bangladesh.
The government agencies have been investigating any link of the message with any militants in the country, he added while replying to a question from the reporters.