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Bangladesh

17 Shibir men held in Chittagong

2012-02-04

[Bangla Daily Star] Seventeen activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir ... the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh... were jugged in New Mansurabad area of Chittagong yesterday evening on suspicion of hatching anti-state plot, police said. The jugged, Shamsuddin Ahmed, 22, Nasimul Arefin, 18, Sazzad Hossain, 21, Maharul Islam, 21, Shahidul Islam, 21, Muhin Uddin, 21, Akram Hossain, 20, Nurul Alam, 20, Fakhruddin Ahmed, 21, Manik Hossain, 19, KM Mawla, 22, Syedul Islam, 20, Faruk Hossain, 20, Kamrul Islam, 26, Md. Hasan, 18, Ishtiak Hossain, 20 and Nizam Uddin, 21, are members of the pro-Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... student organization. Syed Faruk, a sub-inspector of Pahartali Police Station, said acting on a tip-off, they raided a house of Mahabubul Alam around 6:00pm and found the activists holding a "secret meeting". Law enforcers suspect the meeting was called to plan subversive activities against the state, he said. Police seized a large number of books on Islamic revolution, some of which are written by Ghulam Azam, training modules for self-protection and battle, and also anti-government leaflets and banners. The detainees were being quizzed, the SI said.

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Bangladesh

Tarique not returning

2011-07-05

[Bangla Daily Star] Tarique Rahman, senior vice-chairman of BNP and son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia Three-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ... , will not return home to defend himself in August 21 grenade attack cases, his counsel says. The court on Sunday issued arrest warrant for Tarique and 17 others, all of whom are among the 30 charge-sheeted accused in the cases. Of the 18, former police chiefs--Ashraful Huda, Khoda Baksh Chowdhury and Shahudul Haque--yesterday surrendered before a Dhaka court that later sent them to jail. Shahudul was the inspector general of police at the time of the attack that killed 24 and maimed 300 Awami League leaders and workers in 2004. Huda was the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner and Khoda Baksh the head of Criminal Investigation department; both later served as IGPs. Surrendering before the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka in the morning, the trio sought bail in a case filed for killing of the 24 people. But the court rejected their plea. Now the 15, named in the supplementary charge sheets submitted by CID on Sunday, are runaways in the eyes of the law. Tarique, who has been charged for plotting the gristly attack, has been living in London since he left the country with his family for medical treatment on September 11, 2008. He was jugged on March 7, 2007 on corruption charges during the military-backed caretaker government and was released on bail on September 3, 2008. BNP leaders insist the government has falsely implicated Tarique in the grenade assault cases. Tarique's lawyer told The Daily Star that Tarique has no plan to appear before the court as there is no doubt that he will not get justice. "Lower courts are controlled by ministers. The government already made the higher court partisan by appointing party men as judges. So he will not get justice," said Mahbubuddin Khokon, lawyer of Tarique. Khokon, also the joint secretary general of BNP's central executive committee, said, "Tarique Rahman will go to the court only when he will be assured of justice." Harris Chowdhury, another accused in August 21 cases and former political secretary to BNP chief Khaleda, has been disappeared since the emergency was imposed on January 11, 2007. Harris, also a former joint secretary general of the party, decamped the country long before the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker government assumed office on January 2007. He "mysteriously" left his palatial house in Gulshan with almost all his stuffs, even utensils, on December 28, 2006, his neighbours told The Daily Star. Of the other new accused in the August 21 cases, BNP politician Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad is currently abroad, said intelligence sources. An aide to the politician yesterday told The Daily Star that Kaikobad is in Soddy Arabia for treatment. Major Gen (retd) ATM Amin, a controversial former official of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), has long been out of the country, added the sources. Amin was director (counter terrorism) of DGFI at the time of the attempt on Sheikh Hasina's life on August 21, 2004. His rank then was brigadier general. He continued at that post in DGFI for almost throughout the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker government rule. Towards the end, he was promoted to the rank of major general and appointed director general of Bangladesh Ansar. Amin emerged as one of the most powerful persons during the military-backed caretaker rule. It was learnt that he played a vital role in arresting the top politicians during the Fakhruddin rule and became a controversial figure. After coming to office in January 2009, the present government sent him back to the army from Ansar, and later the authorities fired him from the army. Amin left the country some days after his dismissal from the services, said the intelligence sources. Lt Col (sacked) Saiful Islam Joarder was an official of DGFI during the caretaker government rule. Law enforcement agencies found his involvement in the kaboom on ruling party politician Fazle Noor Taposh in 2009. Since then, he has been on the run. The authorities sacked him from the army for his links with the attack on Taposh. Also, former police and CID officials Ruhul Amin, Munshi Atiqur Rahman and Abdur Rashid have been charge-sheeted in the August 21 cases. Obaidur Rahman and Khan Sayeed Hassan, two other accused officials, are still in the police as officers on special duty. Incumbent IGP Hassan Mahmood Khandker told The Daily Star that they would not go for any action regarding the two serving officials who stand accused in the August 21 cases. Newly charge-sheeted hard boy operatives--Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Mufti Abdul Hye, Hafez Moulana Yahiya and Babu alias Ratul Babu--and Hanif Paribahan owner Mohammad Hanif are also absconding. Police officials said some of the accused are holed up abroad. The law enforcers are trying to trace them--be they at home or abroad. Former CID official Abdur Rashid last night told The Daily Star that he has been living in the country as usual. "I am not a runaway, I appear before the court regularly in another case," he said expressing his surprise at the issuance of arrest warrant against him. He, however, would not say whether he would surrender to court. Meanwhile, ...back at the pound, Zebulon finally found just the friend he'd been looking for... a police official said Interpol would circulate notice across the globe to nab the runaways if the CID properly requests its Dhaka office for help to that end

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Bangladesh

WikiLeaks sheds light on Bangladesh

2010-12-19

The first batch of US embassy cables related to Bangladesh released on WikiLeaks reveals the role of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) in an effort to absorb the banned beturbanned goon outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) Founded in 1984 by Fazlur Rehman Khalil and Qari Saifullah Aktar. The Bangla branch was established in 1992 with assistance from Osama bin Laden. Recruits come mostly from Deobandi madrassahs. HuJI and Fazlur Rehman Khalil are signators of bin Laden's declaration of war on the west. into mainstream politics through forming the Islamic Democratic Party (IDP), just before the 2008 general elections. The cable originating from the US mission in New Delhi on April 27, 2007, describes the thoughts of the US, the UK and India in the aftermath of the '1/11' political changeover in 2007. It was four days after the arrest warrant issued against Sheikh Hasina was suspended, and two days after the ban on her re-entering the country was lifted. The subject of the cable is given as "Indian official sees Bangladesh at crossroads, Sri Lanka deteriorating, Burma becoming one-dimensional." Its content describes a meeting between a joint secretary at the Indian ministry of external affairs, Mohan Kumar, the political counsellor at the US embassy in Delhi, Ted Osius and the British High Commission's political counsellor in Delhi, Alex Hall. In the meeting, Kumar is said to have told Osius that "the caretaker government in Bangladesh has reached a crossroads by allowing Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia Three-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ... to return," stating such a move weakens the government. The cable goes on to assert the role that can be played by the US, the UK and India in cajoling the caretaker government into holding "credible" elections, while insisting that the army "needs to remain out of politics." Kumar also briefed the US diplomat on chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, lending credence to the view that he was not in control of the government, but rather an "executor" for the military. The Indian bureaucrat is also said to have asked for US help in getting Bangladesh to open its economy. All three men agreed that the decision by the caretaker government to allow Hasina and Khaleda back to politics had put Bangladesh "on the crossroads." They noted that the government had "gone back on its decision to remove the two women from the political scene." They foresaw three possible alternative scenarios, including an "unlikely" military coup. They also asserted that their respective countries should agree on "a core message" to take to the Fakhruddin government, pressing for elections and voter list reforms, while again making clear the military needs to stay out of politics. The cable also notes matter-of-factly that any move to enter the mainstream politics by the HuJI, through the formation of IDP, would probably not meet with much success, as the people would reject them. According to the cable Kumar also said Indian conglomerate TATA had complained to him about the caretaker government "impeding its entry" into Bangladesh. The rest of the cable contains some Indian frustrations over the volume of trade between the two countries and also discusses Burma and Sri Lanka. None of the cables released so far originate from the US embassy in Dhaka. Data compiled on the total cache of cables by The Guardian and Der Spiegel indicates as many as 1984 cables, sent from Dhaka to Washington, are among the total of 251,287. As of Saturday evening in Bangladesh, only 1618 of these cables have been released, which is less than one percent of the total number of cables obtained by WikiLeaks. Apart from the two mentioned above, the others refer to Bangladesh more generally within a group of nations, for example one that reveals the French government was planning to DNA-test visa applicants from Bangladesh and eight other countries.

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Bangladesh

Hand of admin in August 21 attack

2009-10-03

[Bangla Daily Star] Despite hints in the charge sheet that administration under the BNP-Jamaat alliance might have aided and abetted the August 21 grenade blasts, no investigation has been done along that line. The 41-page charge sheet submitted 15 months back suggests that Abdus Salam Pintu, a former BNP deputy minister, had assured Huji leaders of administrative help in carrying out the attack to kill Sheikh Hasina. He gave the assurance at a meeting at his residence three days before the blasts that left 23 people killed and over 300 injured at an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in 2004. The charge sheet however does not elaborate on the finding which crime experts say surely warrants further probe. Investigation from this angle, the experts believe, might help unmask the masterminds behind the August 21 carnage. Ending a long drama over enquiry into the attack, Criminal Investigation Department pressed charges against 21 leaders and activists of banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami and Salam Pintu on June 9 last year. After AL-led grand alliance came to power in January, the prosecution prayed for further investigation to unearth the sources and supplier of the grenades used in the attack. The court granted permission for more probe, and CID's Abdul Kahar Akand has been assigned to do the job. ASM Shahjahan, former caretaker government adviser who also served as inspector general of police, told The Daily Star, "If the investigation officer thinks the point [mentioned in the charge sheet] should be probed, he can do it by informing the court or taking permission from it." He can seek to find out what the charge sheet means by "administrative support" and if anyone did lend administrative support to the attackers, Shahjahan added. According to the charge sheet, Moulana Abu Taher, president of Dhaka city Huji, took fellow Huji leaders Mufti Abdul Hannan and Ahsan Ullah Kajal to the then deputy minister Pintu's Dhanmondi house to discuss the plot. Pintu's brother Moulana Tajuddin, an absconding accused in August 21 case, was also present at the meeting where Pintu said Hasina has to be killed. Pledging funds and manpower, he said "prosashonik sohaiota" (administrative support) too would be given to pull off the plot. Anisul Huq, an expert on criminal laws, told The Daily Star, the extent of the then government's involvement in the ghastly attack may be known if the investigators could make out the ex-deputy minister's expression "proshashonik shohaiota". The expression suggests the administration had either sought to make the attack successful or shield the masterminds and perpetrators from investigation. The dubious role of police and intelligence personnel at Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21 supports that kind of thinking. Citing Hasina's statement to the investigation officer, the charge sheet said members of the Special Branch fired a few rounds to counter the attack, but the DMP team assigned to ensure her security did nothing. The police men on duty were rather hampering her retreat from the scene. They were firing tear gas shells and bullets as her SUV was heading towards Zero Point through the road on west side of the Outer Stadium. Some experts and analysts say the words "administrative help" can be interpreted in many ways. It is significant when a minister speaks of providing administrative help. It adds weight to AL's allegations that some influential people in the then government had a hand in the blasts. Besides the controversial role of the law enforcers during and before the attack, there is the issue of attempts to prevent a fair investigation in the August 21 blasts case. Three CID officials including two former IOs face criminal charges for misleading the probe. Experts say the investigators should see if the bid to divert the course of investigation was part of the administrative help Pintu had pledged to the Huji top brass. Following a probe under supervision of Lutfozzaman Babar, state minister for home at that time, police arrested 20 people including Shaibal Saha Partha, a student, and AL leader Mokhlesur Rahman for suspected links to the bloodbath. However, none of them who had to endure harassment and torture was found guilty in the latest investigation. The farce over August 21 probe culminated in the BNP-Jamaat-led government claiming that a criminal gang had staged the attack. The basis of their claim was so-called confession of Joj Miah, Abul Hashem alias Rana and Shafiqul Islam. Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker administration later found those confessional statements to have been obtained under duress. Moreover, the CID investigators and supervising officer concerned were found to have paid Joj Miah's family for the statement. The one-member judicial probe committee of Justice Joynul Abedin went as far as to see a "foreign enemy country's involvement" in the incident. The charge sheet however has nothing to bear out his claim. Speaking about the charge sheet at a press briefing in June last year, the then CID Chief Additional Inspector General Jabed Patwari said Huji carried out the attack to kill Hasina as it believed she would harm Islam if alive and in power. Except Salam Pintu, all accused are Huji leaders and activists. Pintu has been included as an accused in the charge sheet as he met the attackers twice at his residence to discuss the blasts plan. Contacted, the third IO of the case who pressed the charges declined to talk about the matter.

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Bangladesh

Hasina served poisonous food in prison: Sajeda

2009-06-28

Deputy Leader of the House in Parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury yesterday alleged that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while in incarceration at sub-jail during military-backed caretaker regime, used to be served food laced with poison. She came up with the macabre disclosure while speaking at a programme marking the 84th birth anniversary of slain national leader AHM Quamruzzaman. "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina became sick in prison on the parliament prescient as she was provided with poison-mixed foods," Sajeda, also a senior presidium member of the ruling Awami League, told the function organized by 'Bangabandhu O Jatiya Char Neta Parishad' at the Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium. Quamruzzaman and three other national leaders-Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed and Captain M Monsur Ali-were gunned down by a group of army personnel inside Dhaka central jail on November 3, 1975 in a chain of deadly incidents since the August 15 tragedy in the country' s political scenes. Unfortunately, Hasina still suffers from illness due to the damage caused by the poisoning. Sajeda Chowdhury said Hasina fell sick having taken the toxic food and her face got swollen. She claimed an ear of Hasina was damaged due to the poison-mixed foods and said the Prime Minister still feels sick sometimes. "Unfortunately, she (Hasina) still suffers from illness due to the damage caused by the poisoning," the Deputy Leader of the House told her audience, at a time when demands are loud for investigation of the affairs of the interim regime installed through the 1/1 changeover amid a political crisis over election issues. Awami League chief Hasina was among the entire lot of country's top politicians held following the 1/11 episode when Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed was leading the interim government aided by the military. She was arrested on July 16, 2007 in connection with an extortion case amid the anti-graft purge and freed after eleven months on bail. It was widely believed that she had been under intense pressure to quit politics and live in exile, as was also the case of her archrival ex-PM Khaleda Zia of BNP. Hasina and BNP chairperson Khaleda were detained in temporary prisons in the parliament complex. People gave reply to the torture that was done on Sheikh Hasina in the makeshift prison by overwhelmingly voting her party and alliance to power at the December 29, 2008 polls held in transition to democratic government from the two-year state of emergency. "She avoided that poison-mixed food when she was informed by the women who were assigned to take care of her," Sajeda Chowdhury said. She said she started serving puffed rice, Chira and banana thereafter.

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Bangladesh

Police arrest two ex-NSI DGs in arms haul, sent to Ctg

2009-05-17

CID police on Saturday arrested two former chiefs of the National Security Intelligence (NSI) for their alleged involvement in a arms haul suspected linked to Indian separatist United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), official sources said.(BSS, Dhaka) "We have arrested (retired) major general Rezzakul Haidar Chowdhury and (retd) brigadier general Abdur Rahim for their involvement in the country's biggest arms haul at Chitagong in 2004," a top official of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) police told BSS. "The two former generals were arrested from their Dhanmondi and Baridhara new DOHS residences respectively in the early hours of today following the confessional statement of retired wing commander and former director of NSI Shahbuddin." Are we sure they weren't actually agents of the ISI? Everyone else seems to be these days. A senior official of the CID told BSS that a strong contingent of CID police led by ASP Ismail Hossain, a former Investigation Officer (IO) of the case, cordoned off the residence of major general Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury at Dhanmondi residential area after midnight of Friday. While Mohammad Moniruzzaman, another ASP of CID currently the IO of the case, cordoned off the 6/c Baridhara new DOHS residence of brigadier Rahim almost at the same time. Both the officers arrested the former generals within two to three hours and finally brought to the CID headquarters at Malibagh at about 4 am. They were taken to two separate rooms located on the third floor of the CID building and interrogated them thoroughly. Special security measures were taken to the CID headquarters despite holiday. After the initial interrogation, both the generals were sent to Chittagong under heavy police guard, the scene of the weapon haul where security forces had seized 10 trucks of weapons, believed to be destined to ULFA hideouts in north-eastern India five years ago. Five years? Isn't that an awfully long transit time? Rahim was the NSI chief during the seizure of the weapons while Haidar succeeded him as both served as the top boss of the main intelligence agency during the past BNP-led four-party rule. The name of both the generals were mentioned as the 'mastermind' of the country's biggest arms haul in the confessional statements of Shahabuddin Ahmed. Chowdhury, however, was removed and sent to forced retirement after the proclamation of the state of emergency on January 11, 2007. Police sources said, the arrested NSI officials allegedly played a key role alongside some police officials in the planned transportation of the weapons from the port city to Assam but the case was shelved for years after the apparently "accidental" seizure of the weapons. The past government of chief adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed ordered a reinvestigation last year amid allegations that there was a deliberate attempt on the part of the then BNP administration to suppress facts to weaken it. Oh. The arms were seized five years ago, but the the two generals were just re-arrested... I think. The 10 truck loads of weapons included over 27,000 grenades, 150 rocket launchers, over 11 lakh ammunitions and 1,100 sub machine guns were unloaded at a government jetty on April 2004 but seized by security agencies despite the alleged involvement of several police and intelligence officials in the smuggling bid. Investigators earlier said two other major accused indicated involvement of political bigwigs in the weapon deal five years after the seizure as they so far questioned 26 navy officials, who were serving at that time in Coastguard on deputation along with several other witnesses. "We have got the leads from confessional statements (of the suspects) that the weapon consignment was meant for ULFA," public prosecutor Kamal Uddin told newsmen earlier this year. The ULFA reportedly had planned to smuggle in the weapons using the Bangladesh territory earlier at a Bangkok Hotel.

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Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina vows to fight religious extremism

2008-12-13

Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina vowed to fight religious extremism if she won parliamentary election later this month, saying she would seek support for a South Asian task force to tackle it. Bangladesh has been battling hardline groups that want to turn the secular democracy into an Islamic nation based on shariah law. Officials say the groups may also try to disrupt the December 29 elections aimed at restoring democracy after two years of emergency. "If elected in the December 29 polls, we will ban communalism in national politics and would propose to form a South Asian task force to combat religious militancy," Hasina said after she released the election manifesto of her Awami League party. "We will fight militancy, contain rising of commodity prices and face the fallout of global slowdown -- among top priorities of our government," she said. Hasina and her bitter rival and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia are the front-runners in the election to choose a new prime minister for the nation of 140 million people. Khaleda, who launched her campaign on Friday from the holy city of Sylhet, promised a clean and responsive government in a nation where corruption is seen as widespread. "We are going to fight and win the election. We will establish good governance," she said. An army-backed interim administration took power in Bangladesh in January 2007 after months of political violence, imposed a state of emergency, banned political activities and launched a crackdown on corruption. Hasina and Khaleda were both arrested for alleged graft but released after nearly a year in prison, to ensure their parties -- the biggest in Bangladesh -- take part in the polls, to make it credible and acceptable. Khaleda, cheered on by thousands of her supporters, offered prayers in Sylhet where she was due to address a rally. She will unveil BNP's manifesto in Dhaka on Saturday. Ban: Hasina and Khaleda have alternated as prime ministers for the past 15 years and also remain the front-runners to be the next prime minister, analysts and diplomats say. Khaleda, cheered on by thousands of her supporters, offered prayers in Sylhet where she was due to address a rally. She will unveil BNP's manifesto in Dhaka on Saturday. The government lifted the ban on political rallies on Friday and will withdraw the emergency on December 17 ahead of the election. "Yes, one of these two will become the country's top executive following the election as there is no alternative yet," said professor Ataur Rahman, chief of Bangladesh Political Science Association. "Despite talks of political reforms over the past two years, politics in this country has remained on the known tracks. Hardly anything has changed," he told Reuters. The interim authority headed by former central bank governor Fakhruddin Ahmed and backed by the military, has vowed the election will be free and fair.

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Bangladesh

Emergency to stay until elections

2008-10-05

Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed has said the caretaker government wants to continue with the state of emergency until the general elections to "retain control" over the old problems of money and muscle power during polls.

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Bangladesh

Fresh step to shut convicts out of polls

2008-07-17

The caretaker government is incorporating a new provision in the Representation of People Order (RPO) Ordinance 2008 to bar individuals convicted by a trial court of criminal offences involving moral turpitude from contesting elections. At present, due to the lack of specific legal provisions an individual convicted by a trial court of such criminal offences can participate in elections while their appeal against the conviction is pending with the higher court. The new provision drafted by the Election Commission (EC) upon government desire says such a convict will be disqualified from contesting the parliamentary polls while their appeal against the trial court verdict is pending with a higher court. Due to loopholes in the existing electoral laws individuals convicted by the trial courts have come up as candidates for the August 4 city corporation polls. Sources said Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed himself recently expressed concern about how to prevent this. Asked by the chief adviser, senior officials of his office communicated with the EC and requested it to look into the matter. Following the government's desire, the EC drafted the new proposal. The draft was supposed to be sent to the government yesterday for incorporation into the draft RPO, the sources added.

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh to hold general elections in December

2008-05-13

(Xinhua) -- Bangladesh will hold the general elections in the third week of December this year to install an elected government, caretaker government Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed announced here Monday. The general elections slated for Jan. 22 last year were canceled following political turmoil over discrepancies on electoral issues between major political parties. The violent political agitation led to imposition of the state of emergency on Jan. 11 last year that banned all political activities. In an address to the nation over the state-owned radio and television Monday evening, Ahmed said ban on indoor politics across the country will be lifted from Tuesday. The chief advisor said his government will sit for dialogue with political parties from May 22. "It is important to reach consensus before the elections to make the post-election parliament effective," Ahmed said, adding it needs guarantee that none will reject the election results and boycott next parliament.

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Terror Networks

Bangladesh, British have terror links says UK home secretary

2008-04-10

Visiting British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith yesterday said there are links between British and Bangladeshi terror networks. She said the two countries will form a high level joint working group that will meet in June to thrash out details of 'practical programmes' on counter-terrorism, which might include sharing of information and counter-terror training. Smith also said during her meetings with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and Army Chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed yesterday, she received 'strong reassurances' from them that the stalled ninth parliamentary election will be held by the year's end. The UK home secretary made the comments during a news conference at the British high commission wrapping up her three day visit. "Yes there are linkages between terrorism in Britain and Bangladesh," she said when asked if there is any link between terror groups in the two countries, but refused to divulge specific name of any militant group in either country. "Linkages are highly likely because of the nature of international terrorism terrorists travel widely, use dual nationalities," said Smith adding, the countries have a shared interest in helping each other tackle terrorism in both short and long terms. When asked if her government feels that Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami, Bangladesh (Huji-B) is a threat to Britain, she answered, "Yes." Asked if the UK is wary of any link between Al-Qaeda and Bangladeshi militant groups, she did not dismiss the notion, and said the global terror network does have the ability to work in a wide range of countries. Earlier in the day, after her meeting with Home Adviser MA Matin, Smith said a strong and stable democracy cannot be built without defeating terrorism, while Matin said the two sides discussed cooperation, especially potential British training of Bangladeshi counter-terrorism teams, to prevent terrorist attacks on the country's aviation industry. Currently, Britain provides counter-terror training, and finances and organises counter-terror research by local think tanks, while having undisclosed counter-terrorism defence ties with Bangladesh. Smith also said 54 cases of British nationals having been brought to Bangladesh under 'forced marriages' were reported to the high commission. The UK secretary had also attended an event on 'forced marriage' and ways to tackle the problem.

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Bangladesh

Khaleda and Hasina may be sent into exile

2007-12-07

Bangladesh’s detained former prime ministers may be sent into exile as part of a deal to drop corruption charges against them, a leading newspaper said on Thursday. A proposal to this effect has apparently been sent to Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, the Amar Desh (My Country) daily reported. Other conditions stipulate that none of their immediate family members could be involved in active politics, said the daily known for its pro-Khaleda stance. Bangladesh’s army-backed interim government, which took over in January following political violence, has put Hasina and her bitter rival Khaleda in jail pending trial for alleged graft and abuse of power when they alternated as prime minister from 1991 to 2006. They have both denied the charges, which they say are meant to keep them from contesting elections planned for late next year. The Amar Desh story followed reports in other media that the interim government, headed by former central bank chief Fakhruddin Ahmed, was seeking a deal with the two women to give them an honourable exit from politics and end their dynastic influence over millions of followers. “If the two leaders agree with the latest proposals, maybe (they will be) freed with general amnesty,” Amar Desh said. “In that case they, along with their family members, may be sent to a foreign country of their choice with a monthly allowance for their livelihood.” Hasina’s Awami League and Khaleda’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had no comment on the reports. “We have not heard anything like this, nor do we know if there is anything cooking up,” said a BNP leader who asked not to be identified.

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