A US State Department report has commended Bangladesh for its commitment to combating domestic and trans-national terrorism and its counter-terrorism efforts.
The United States ‘Country Reports on Terrorism 2012’, released on May 30 (Washington local time), says Bangladesh’s efforts made it more difficult for trans-national terrorist groups to operate or establish safe havens in the country.
The US says it supports programmes, both civilian and military, and will provide assistance for ‘monitoring, detecting and preventing terrorism’.
Bangladesh’s criminal judiciary system is said to be in the process for full implementation of the Anti-terrorism Act of 2009, though in slow pace.
A cooperation with the US said to have heightened control of Bangladesh’s border and land, sea, and air ports.
Bangladesh continued participation in the Department of State’s anti-terrorism programmes and cooperated with Department of Justice’s efforts to provide prosecutorial skills training to assistant public prosecutors, encourage greater cooperation between police and prosecutors, and form community policing in specific areas.
However, the report identifies implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) 1267 and 1373 incomplete regarding countering terrorism financing. Recommendations have been made for law amendments to parallel international standards to ‘clear ambiguities’.
The report finds Bangladesh’s counterterrorism protocols, under South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), in line with the four pillars of UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
Though the report mentions that influential India opened scope for trans-national terrorism threats, Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League-led government showed interest in regional cooperation on counter-terrorism.
The report cites the mutual legal assistance law formed in 2012 allowing greater international cooperation and other memorandums to share evidence regarding criminal investigations.
Bangladesh is using ‘strategic communication’ to counter violent extremism, ‘especially among the youth’, the State Department observes.
“The Ministry of Education provides oversight for madrassas and is developing a standard national curriculum that includes language, math, and science curricula; and minimum standards of secular subjects to be taught in all primary schools, up to the eighth grade.
“The Ministry of Religious Affairs and the National Committee on Militancy Resistance and Prevention work with imams and religious scholars to build public awareness against terrorism.
“The Government of Bangladesh is also actively expanding economic opportunities for women as it views economic empowerment for women as a buffer against violent extremist messages of male religious leaders.” It continues.
The report spoke of only one organisation, Harakat ul-Jihad-e-Islami Bangladesh, identified as a foreign terrorist organisation formed in 1992 with Afghan war veterans aiming to establish Islamic rule.
The madrasa-based group is said to have at least 400 Afghan veterans active with unknown total number of membership operating primarily in Bangladesh and India. They are funded by several international Muslim NGOs.
Source: Bd news24
