PM Hasina warns of ongoing terror threats in Bangladesh

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has warned that terror attacks are being plotted in Bangladesh and urged citizens to remain alert to the threat.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 25 April 2019, 09:58 AM
Updated : 28 April 2019, 05:43 AM

She was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the non-stop inter-city train service 'Banalata Express' on the Dhaka-Rajshahi route via video conference at Ganabhaban on Thursday.

The prime minister made the remarks in the context of the suicide bomb attacks at several churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.

The death toll in the incident is reported to have crossed 300. Zayan Chowdhary, the 8-year-old grandson of Hasina's relative Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, was among the casualties. His father was also injured in the incident.

"Today, militancy isn't just a problem in Bangladesh but has become a global issue. We've lost a few Bangladeshis in the incident in Sri Lanka a few days ago," said Hasina.

"The most unfortunate part is that many children died there. We lost a Bangladeshi child, Zayan, because of the militant attacks," she added

"Plenty of efforts are being made to carry out such attacks in Bangladesh. But our intelligence and law enforcement agencies are alert to it."

Hasina added, "I urge the people of the country to also stay alert and help identify those who are involved or engaging in militant activities by immediately informing the law enforcement forces about it."

The prime minister also criticised the BNP-Jamaat government for patronising terrorism and militancy in the country.

She called upon the people of the country, particularly guardians, teachers, public representatives, imams of mosques, and clerics of different religions to collectively stand against any suspicious militant activities in their respective localities.

The Banalata Express will operate regularly along the Dhaka-Rajshahi route from Apr 27, according to railway officials.

The train is scheduled to depart Rajshahi at 7am every day and reach Dhaka around 11:30 am. It will leave again from Dhaka at 1:30 pm before arriving in Rajshahi around 6pm.

The train will consist of 12 coaches, imported from Indonesia recently, and two engines, imported from India in 2013.

The train is capable of reaching a maximum speed of around 90 to 95 kilometres per hour. The total number of seats is 948. The train also has bio-toilets like airplanes and a WiFi connectivity.

Each compartment has an LED display, which will display station and travel information.

The prime minister later inaugurated several institutes and establishments under the fisheries and livestock ministry through video conference.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, Principle Secretary to the Prime Minister Nojibur Rahman and Political Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister HT Imam attended the launching event.