In a clear bid to take on Pakistan, Bangladesh has slammed it for its role in sponsoring terrorism. More importantly, India and Bangladesh are joining hands in combating the dual menace of terrorism and communalism through the tool of information. In a twist and a strategic shift of policy, Bangladesh and India have agreed to be on the same page in tackling the menace of terrorism and communalism. That they intend to liberally use the media and information platform is the innovative twist to what otherwise would have remained a repeat of the past.
In any case, enough ripples have been caused by Bangladesh visiting Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu when he openly supported India’s stand on Balochistan as spelt out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He went as far as saying that Dhaka would soon make a policy declaration on Pakistan’s human rights abuses in Balochistan. Inu had made these remarks to a newspaper yesterday.
Speaking to media persons here today, Bangladesh Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said that he and his Indian counterpart, Venkiah Naidu had agreed that the flow of information was important to combat terrorism and check communalism. It is in this context that the two countries are exploring ‘new ground’ for cooperation in the area of information.
 In a hard hitting observation Inu said, “Terrorism and communalism are political phenomenon, and not law and order problems. Both thrive on propaganda, misinterpretation of religion and distortion of history.”
Information, Inu said, would now be used by both countries jointly to make people aware of the real situation and push communalism to the ‘backseat’. He underlined the importance of ‘proper information to combat terrorism and diffuse communalism. His Indian counterpart has agreed that the ‘time had come to combat terrorism in a multi-dimensional way’, Inu said.   
Without mincing words, Inu named Pakistan and  alleged that Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI and Jamaat-e-Islami were involved in terrorist activities in his country. Pakistan, he said,   has a ‘very bad track record’ on terrorism. It was, he reiterated, “the aggressor on Bangladesh during the 1971 War of Liberation.”
‘Terrorism’ Inu said ‘has a legacy in Bangladesh relating to Jamaat-e-Islami’s role in opposing the War of Liberation in 1971 and playing the role of collaborator with occupation Pakistani troops.’
Majority of the persons, Inu said, who were arrested in connection with 40-odd terror-related incidents ‘have roots in Islamic Chhatra Shibir. Both Jamaat and Pakistan’s ISI are involved in terrorist attacks in Bangladesh ,’  he said.
 Stating that Pakistan was ‘harbouring terrorists’, Inu said certain Pakistani  diplomats were ordered to be pulled out of Bangladesh because of their illegal and covert connections with home-grown terror groups in Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the minister said, ‘has successfully’ restrained the armed network of Jamaat and terrorism in Bangladesh is ‘under control’.
“In Bangladesh, terrorism is like a bubble which may last ten days or ten months depending on how long the bubble lasts,” he remarked adding that,  “terrorists in Bangladesh are rootless as they have no religion, culture and take  a position against the War of Liberation.”
Answering another question on the controversial Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s Peace TV, Inu said that the Bangladesh government had stopped the broadcast of Peace TV. On whether it was ‘banned’, Inu replied that it was ‘stopped’.
 This, he said, followed several complaints from ulemas that certain teachings of Naik were not in keeping with the Quran and the Hadith and were in fact ‘instigative’.
Inu hammered the need for greater cooperation between Bangladesh and India in the field of information and in greater flow of two-way information, especially ‘to counter the propaganda by terrorist and communal elements that thrive on misinformation and distortion of religion’.
“We need to have more cooperation with India especially as terrorism has emerged as a big threat to both the countries. Terrorism and communalism thrive on misinformation and distortion of religion and we need to counter their propaganda so that we can combat that propaganda,” he said, adding “That is why there should be  proper flow of information between the two countries.”
Both India and Bangladesh had agreed to work out a Memorandum of Understanding to share information under which a Joint Working Group will be set up for expanding cooperation between Bangladesh Television and India’s Doordarshan, radios and news agencies of the two countries. Both countries networks would show each other’s content in their respective countries. It had been agreed to have specific slots to showcase programmes on history and religion that would set the records straight and counter the terror and communalism propaganda Giving a kind of clean chit to the social media, Inu said that as of now it was okay but one needs to keep tabs on ensuring the privacy of individuals and dignity of women, children and maintain sanctity of religion.
He said that there is a move to bring a comprehensive cyber crime law and also come out with broadcasting law in the wake of the boom of mass media.
Inu also revealed plans for a mega feature film to be made on Bangabandhu for which India has assured assistance. In what he called a ‘first’, Inu said that Sheikh Hasina is keen that the memory of each and every 8,000 Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives for Bangladesh Liberation War be honoured. “We have sought all the names from Indian government for this,” he said.   
On Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal  not attending the  SAARC Interior Ministers’ meeting in Islamabad last month, Inu put it to  “domestic preoccupations”.  
On the issue of whether Bangladesh Finance Minister would take part in SAARC Finance Ministers’ meeting proposed to be held in Islamabad later this month, Inu reposed faith in the SAARC process hoping that it would be ‘more dynamic’.