Terrorists becoming ‘more sophisticated’, says US Ambassador Miller

Terrorists are “becoming more sophisticated all the time” and they are using newer methods and tools such as cryptocurrency, US Ambassador in Dhaka Earl Miller has warned.

“To stay ahead we must work smarter; we must work together, and combine our knowledge and skills,” he said on Thursday while inaugurating a workshop on ‘investigating and prosecuting financial crimes’.

Head of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit or BFIU Abu Hena Mohd Razee Hassan was also present. Participants include representatives from the BFIU, ACC, NBR, CID, Department of Narcotics Control, and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, among others.

The US Embassy, through the Department of Justice’s Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training and the State Department, have partnered with the government to provide such workshop since 2005.

“Many of those programmes have been jointly sponsored with the BFIU because we share a common goal – the goal of preventing terrorism by identifying and choking off financial support for terrorists and their organisations,” the ambassador said.

“Stopping the flow of money to terrorists takes a regional and international effort.  So it is fitting we hold this workshop, in Bangladesh, the co-chair of the Asia Pacific Group for Money Laundering for the 2018-2020 term,” he said.

“Together, we are working to build strong legal institutions that respect the rule of law and are, in turn, respected by our fellow citizens.  It is what they expect; it is what they deserve.”

“But it is not enough to adopt strong laws prohibiting money laundering and terrorism financing.  The laws must be enforced by trained investigators, prosecutors, and analysts such as you,” said Miller.