Renewing her government's strong stance against terrorism, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday vowed to find out the root causes of recent terror attacks in Bangladesh, reports UNB.
“Children of rich families were involved in Gulshan terror attack. We’ll find out who’re behind this… who’re recruiting these youths," she said.
The Prime Minister said this when US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal met her at her official residence Ganobahabn.
PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim Helal briefed reporters after the meeting.
Biswal also said the youths, who are involved in recent terror attacks in Bangladesh, are from well-off families and they are indulged in adventurism.
"These youths are from well-to-do families…one of the things is to look in that they are indulged in adventurism, they are not doing it from religious spirit," she said.
The US Assistant Secretary of State termed the recent terror attack in Bangladesh as a challenge and offered to work together to eliminate this social menace.
"We’ll have to face it together, we’ll have to work together, we’ll extend all sorts of assistance, including technological support in this regard," she said.
Nisha also offered training for Bangladesh law enforcement agencies to fight terrorism.
The Prime Minister also put emphasis on sharing information to face the terrorism.
About the missing youths of the country, Hasina said human rights bodies without going into the deep of the problem blame the government and the law enforcement agencies.  "They squarely blame the government and law enforcement agencies."
Sheikh Hasina said some youths went missing after going for study in Australia and Malaysia.
The Prime Minister said she herself had to face terror attacks several times, and pointed out the brutal August 21 grenade attack on her during the BNP-Jamaat regime that left 24 Awami League leaders and activists dead.
Hasina also mentioned 500 bombs were blasted in various areas of the 63 districts of the country at that time.
PM's Adviser Gowher Rizvi, Principal Secretary M Abul Kalam Azad and US Ambassador Marcia Bernicat were present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal yesterday lauded Bangladesh law enforcement agencies’ efforts to protect US citizens in Bangladesh and said the US will continue its assistance in combating terrorism, a global threat both the countries face, our special correspondent reports.
 Dhaka will seek various kinds of support and cooperation from the US government to jointly combat terrorism, said home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday.
“For the US government, Nisha Desai

Biswal, assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian affairs in the US department of state, promised us to provide all kinds of support and cooperation to combat terrorism,” he told reporters after a meeting with the US official at his Secretariat office.
“We’re assessing the kinds of support and cooperation that would be sought from the US government,” he said.
The home minister disclosed that the US official came to Dhaka “to inform us how they (the US) can help the government to combat terrorism”.
Emerging from the meeting, Nisha Desai Biswal told reporters that she came here on behalf of US president Barack Obama and secretary of state John Kerry to express US support to the people and government of Bangladesh.
“The secretary asked me to come after he spoke to the Prime Minister so that I could convey that we’re here, we’re preparing to work with you as you tackle this great challenge. Our thoughts, our prayers, our condolences are with all of the victims of the attacks and the families,” she said.
“We’re committed. We’re resolute that terror will not win. We’ll have the necessary intelligence and information, we’ll have training and capabilities too...,” she added.
“We’ll work to engage with our communities, with our youth, to ensure that they are also seeking the right path. I want to commend the government for being open to working with the US and others who have had experiences of their own,” the US assistant secretary of state said.
“We look forward to working together so that we can share the lesson we’ve learnt and we can partner in addressing the challenges that we face,” she added.
In a statement, Nisha Desai Biswal said, “Violent extremism is a global threat.  As we have seen too frequently, international terrorist groups can recruit and operate anywhere. I am here to offer US assistance and support for Bangladesh’s own efforts against terrorism and extremism. This is an extension of our long and deep partnership based on shared values of democracy, tolerance, and inclusion, and the US remains committed to this broad-based relationship with Bangladesh, of which counter-terrorism (CT) is but one part.”
“Sharing the concerns of Bangladeshis, we have taken steps to bolster the security of our staff.  Our support for, cooperation with, and commitment to this country remain as robust as ever. We remain steadfast in our friendship with the Bangladeshi people,” the statement added.
The US ambassador to Bangladesh, Marcia Bernicat, and deputy assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian affairs, Manpreet Anand, also attended the meeting with the home minister yesterday.
Following the recent militant attacks at a Spanish restaurant in Gulshan and the Sholakia Eid prayer ground in Kishoreganj, Nisha Desai Biswal came here on Sunday on a two-day visit.
Earlier, Nisha Biswal had a meeting with envoys from three foreign missions over Bangladesh’s current security situation.
The hour-long meeting was held at the residence of US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat in the morning following the back-to-back attacks on the Dhaka café and Sholakia in Kishoreganj district.
During the meeting, Biswal had talks about security issues in Bangladesh with the Canadian High Commissioner and acting High Commissioners from the United Kingdom and Australia.
Later, the diplomats of the three countries came out from Bernicat’s residence around 9:45pm, said a diplomatic source.
Bernicat and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Manpreet Anand were also present at the meeting.
Later, Biswal and others visited the crime spot - Holey Artisan Bakery that came under terror attack on July 1. She paid homage to those killed brutally during the attack.
The US official, meanwhile, met Prime Minister’s International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi. Biswal will also meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at 5pm after her meeting with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, said officials at Prime Minister’s Office and the Secretariat.
On Sunday, she met Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque at state guesthouse Padma and discussed Bangladesh’s bilateral relations with the United States and the security situation.
On Sunday evening, Biswal had a marathon meeting with Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla. Biswal arrived here on Sunday morning on a two-day visit to Bangladesh.
She had last visited Dhaka on May 5 and 6 this year after the brutal murder of USAID staff Xulhaz Mannan on April 25.
Twenty-two people, including nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian national and two policemen, were killed inside and outside Artisan café during the July-1 terror attack.
Later on the morning of on July 2, six people along with five attackers were also killed during a commando operation. Thirteen of the hostages were rescued alive in the operation.
On Thursday last, at least four people, including two policemen, were killed and 12 others injured in a bomb attack coupled with an exchange of gunfire after terrorists attacked a temporary police check post near Sholakia Eidgah in Sadar upazila of Kishoreganj.