BNP trashes Australia’s fears of militant threats in Bangladesh, hopes Test series will go ahead

The BNP has said Australia’s concerns of militancy and extremism threats are unfounded, claiming these do not exist in Bangladesh and hopes they would send in their cricketers for the Test series.

“Our party does not believe there is factual basis in the information on which the Australian Cricket Board is seeing the security threat,” spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon said in a press conference on Monday.

“We hope they review their decision and come to Bangladesh to play cricket. The people are waiting to greet them.”

Steven Smith-led Australia were supposed to reach Dhaka on Monday for a two-Test series.

The first Test was scheduled for Oct 9 in Chittagong and the second on Oct 17 in Dhaka. A three-day warm-up against BCB XI on Oct 3 was also part of the tour itinerary.

But they delayed their planned departure after Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) issued a warning last Friday, saying that militants in Bangladesh could be planning an attack on the tourists.

The DFAT, which provides travel advice to Australians planning to go abroad, in its notice said, "There is reliable information to suggest that militants may be planning to target Australian interests in Bangladesh.”

It also advised Australian officials in Bangladesh to limit their movements in public places.

After DFAT’s warning, Cricket Australia Security Chief Sean Carroll flew to Dhaka on Sunday to assess the prevailing security situation and the measures planned.

Following a meeting with him, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Kamal Khan said on Monday he was hopeful about the Tests being played. Ripon trashed the DFAT claim saying its observation about Bangladesh was ‘baseless’. “Our party does not have any views which contradict what the home minister or commerce minister said.”

The BNP's international affairs secretary continued that Bangladesh was a secular state and “there is no existence of religious extremism here”.

He urged the government to be wary of such negative impression about Bangladesh and its long-term effects. “We hope they will take steps to lay a positive impression.”

Ripon also called on the government to hold elections so that the country could be identified as a democratic one. rn/bd