PM Hasina urges parents tell police about their missing children

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the parents and educational institutions to inform the law enforcing agencies about their missing children or students, to prevent them from going astray.

Urging youths who have chosen terrorism in the name of Islam to return to normal life, she said, "This is not the way of Islam."

 

The prime minister was speaking at an event in her official residence, Ganabhaban, where she exchanged Eid greetings with the people on Thursday morning.

 

She said, "Terrorism will never be tolerated in Bangladesh. The government will do everything to establish peace."

 

Muslims in the country are celebrating the Eid-ul-Fitr this year with heavy hearts, grieving for the 22 people killed in a terrorist attack on an upscale cafe in Dhaka's Gulshan-2 five days ago.

 

Barely two hours before Hasina's programme, four persons, including two policemen, were killed and several others injured, when a police force guarding the Sholakia ground in Kishoreganj, where the country’s biggest Eid congregation takes place, came under a bomb attack.

A day before, three Bangla-speaking youths had threatened more attacks in Bangladesh in a new video reportedly released by the Islamic State (IS).

Three of the six Gulshan cafe attackers, in their 20s and from well-to-do families, had gone missing several months ago.

One of the three youths featured on the video had been missing, too.

 

Parents of 10 youths, also missing for the past several months, appealed to them on Wednesday to return home.

 

Police and RAB have issued an alert, saying leaving home and joining militants had become a trend among youths.

The prime minister on Thursday urged parents and all educational institutions to provide the law enforcing agencies with the photos and lists of missing children and students.

 

"Don't sit back after filing a GD (general diary). Release the information and their photos."

 

Sheikh Hasina said the government would give every support, including the dissemination of information through all forms of media outlets, to help parents to trace their missing children and bring them home.

 

She also urged people to form anti-terror committees at district, Upazila, and union levels. "We are always beside you. Let us know who are linked to the militants."

 

'Enemies of Islam'

 

Hinting at the attack on the Gulshan cafe on Jul 1 evening, and at Sholakia moments before the main Eid prayer, the prime minister said, "They have killed people instead of offering their prayers at time for prayers. How can this be a way to protect Islam?"

 

"... those who carry out such heinous crimes, don’t believe in Islam in reality. They are the enemies of Islam."

 

She also spoke of the suicide bombing outside the Prophet Mohammad's Mosque in Saudi Arabia's Medina. "Some people commit such crimes in the name of Islam, tarnishing Islam's image."

 

Hasina said the militants claimed to be committed to establishing the Sharia law and oppose all man-made laws. "They won't abide by man-made laws. So why are they using manmade weapons, bombs, clothes, and technologies to achieve their goal?"

 

She asked everyone to be alert and inform the security forces about anyone trying to lure the youths towards militancy.

 

"Steps must be taken against such people who are involved in false preaching and pushing the youths towards death and hell."

Regarding the reported IS video released on Wednesday, the prime minister said, "I heard that they have criticised our government. They have no right to talk about us and our government. They have no right to hurt our religious sentiments."

 

She said the Middle East-based militant group had 'gone too far' with their fanaticism regarding Islam. "Islam doesn't allow the killing of innocent people."

Saying the militants had no faith in Allah, Hasina added, "They consider themselves to be more powerful than Allah."

She said, "The international community is with us in the fight against terror. But if anyone from them is backing these militants, the international community itself will have to take responsibility and preventative measures."

Slamming human rights bodies

While talking about missing youths, the prime minister also came down hard on human rights organisations.

"These international human rights bodies are releasing reports on abductions and blaming the government and law enforcing agencies. But they have failed to report the missing youths who returned as militants and terrorists.

"Why didn’t they release reports on this? Why did they fail to report these missing youths? They must answer."

She said the government could have taken immediate steps if the human rights organisations had provided the right information instead of making 'motivated statements'.