Turkey’s prime minister calls his Bangladesh counterpart to condole deaths in Sylhet bomb blasts

Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has made a phone call to his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina to express his country’s condolence in recent bomb blasts that killed six people in Sylhet.

He also condemned the bomb attacks during a security operation on a militant hideout in the area.

Bangladesh Prime Minister’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim told journalists about the phone conversation, which lasted for about 15 minutes Monday evening. 

Yildirim extended his government cooperation in the fight against terrorism in Bangladesh, Karim added.

Six people, including two policemen, were killed and nearly 40 others injured in two separate bomb blasts on Saturday when the army para-commandos were conducting an operation to uproot a militant dugout at building in Shibbari area in Sylhet. The head of RAB intelligence unit is among the critically wounded and has been flown to Singapore for better treatment.

The press secretary quoted the PM Hasina as saying to her Turkish counterpart that “some misguided people are tarnishing the image of Islam as a religion. They are destroying Islamic culture and heritage.”

The PM also condemned the failed military coup in Turkey late last year.

She invited Yildirim to visit Bangladesh at a time convenient for him.