Aimed at ensuring peace and harmony in the country, the government is dealing with terrorism, militancy and all sorts of criminal activities with iron hand. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government is committed to establish Bangladesh as a safe haven for all people by combating terrorists, militants and their monstrous activities from the country,” Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told the news agency yesterday. He said a vested quarter is trying to hatch conspiracy in the name of IS militants to destabilize the country by killing people, adding, “There is no existence of Islamic State (IS) in Bangladesh. The government never allows any sort of criminal to operate activities in the country.”
The minister said the government with its sincere efforts has been working to combat terrorism and militancy strictly to ensure peace for every people of the society in accordance with the “zero tolerance policy” against terrorism and militancy.
He said people of all religions are living in Bangladesh peacefully, as the country under the bold and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is running smoothly with the vision to become middle income state by 2021.
Khan said that the law enforcing agencies including police detected facts and clues of most of the killing of bloggers and arrested many criminals in this regard. Police also pressed charge-sheets against criminals and judgment of a case has been awarded by the court as well.
“Various pragmatic steps have been undertaken by the present government against militancy and terrorism to establish ‘Sonar Bangla’ as was dreamt by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” he stated.
Talking to the news agency Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque said police unearthed mysteries in 80 per cent incidents of militancy in the country and arrested those involved in the crimes. “It is possible to eliminate militancy and terrorism from the country, if the people stay beside the police,” he said.
The IGP urged the people of all strata to remain united to resist the conspiracy and militants, adding, “The people of Bangladesh are pious, not fanatic and they do not like or support militants.
According to a ministry official, police successfully unearthed mystery of the killings of Bangladesh-born US citizen Avijit Roy, Niladri Chaterjee Neloy, Assistant Police Inspector (ASI) Mohammad Ibrahim, Arefin Faisal Dipon as well as the recent double-murder in Kalabagan and the case of attempt to murder of Tutul at Mohammadpur.
The law enforcers already detected some 28 recent bloggers and other killings in the country. Of them, judgment of blogger Razib murder case was given, police pressed charge-sheets of a case of attempt to murder blogger Asif Mohiuddin and arrested four criminals involving killing of blogger Ananta Bijoy, he said.
Police also arrested an accused on charge of killing blogger Avijit Roy and submitted charge-sheet against five accused for murdering blogger Wasikur Rahman, while five criminals were arrested on charge of killing blogger Niladri Chattarjee. They also recorded a confessional statement of 12 suspects on charge of killing blogger Faisal Arefin Deepon at Aziz Super market, he said.
Besides, the government formed counter terrorism and cyber crime units, Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Special Security and Protection Battalion (SPBn) side by side with strengthening all other existing forces to combat all sorts of crimes and terrorist acts, the official added.
He said the government enacted the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 and updated it in 2011, a specific legislation designed to fight terrorism in line with the UN Action Plan on Counterterrorism Strategy and other resolutions.