Hasina asks Awami League leaders, activists, to act against militants

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the leaders and activists of the Awami League to help capture the militants by informing the law-enforcing agencies if any militant is hiding in their localities.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 18 March 2017, 05:41 PM
Updated : 18 March 2017, 05:41 PM

"Militancy and terrorism won't be allowed in Bangladesh. We must maintain our tough stance against those," the Awami League chief told a discussion of the party on Saturday.

Her comments came after RAB personnel shot a suspected suicide attacker dead at a check-post in the capital's Khilgaon in the morning.

On Friday, a suicide bomber died in a blast during an attack on RAB camp in Ashkona. Another suspect arrested in Ashkona were killed in RAB custody. In Chittagong's Sitakunda, four suspects were killed on Thursday in a raid following the detention of a 'militant couple' in another raid on Wednesday.

These incidents happened after the militants were 'weakened' by police crackdown following the Gulshan and Sholakia terror attacks in July last year.

With these in the backdrop, Hasina told the Awami League programme: "I've urged the people from all levels of society; I am also asking our leaders and activists to be alert.

"You'll have to collect information on militants or terrorists, if there is any, in your areas and inform the law-enforcing agencies."

"We don't want militancy or terrorism in our country," she added.

Sheikh Hasina also advised the AL leaders and activists to keep an eye on their children so that they do not get involved in militancy.

She alleged the BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami created militancy during their tenure.

"Bangla Bhai patrolled with arms in broad daylight while police guarded him. BNP leaders treated them to sweets, biriyani, and backed them," she said, mentioning the series of simultaneous bomb attacks across the country on Aug 17, 2005.

Referring to a Canada court verdict terming Padma Bridge corruption evidence 'gossip and rumour', she said, "We can tackle any sort situation because we have the power of honesty."

She also said a programme to mark the publication of a book, 'Karagarer Rojnamcha' (Diary in Jail), an autobiographical book of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's days in jail, will soon be held.

She asked the Awami League leaders and activists to be ready to celebrate Bangabandhu's 100th birth anniversary in 2020.