Dhaka: International terrorists now
consider Bangladesh as safer place than Pakistan and
Afghanistan, top security experts have warned, amid increasing
number of leaders of militant outfits, including Pakistan
based LeT and JeM, have been arrested from the country.
"The recent arrests of some leaders and activists of
Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in and around Dhaka are
the signs that the terrorists are considering Bangladesh as a
softer destination," said Maj Gen (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman, the
President of Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security
Studies (BIPSS).
He said "terrorists have been finding new places to
hide (in Bangladesh) as the Afghanistan and Pakistan
authorities are becoming tough on militants."
Security experts taking part in an international
workshop on 'Counter Terrorism Capacity Building' in the
capital said international terrorists now consider Bangladesh
as safer place than Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Underlining the need to beef up anti-terror mechanism
in the country, Muniruzzaman said BIPSS research showed that
more than 30 militant organisations were active in Bangladesh.
"These organisations would be helpful for those trying
to take cover here," he was quoted as saying by the Star
Online today.
Muniruzzaman highlighted the need for joint
collaboration by South Asian countries to address the problem.
"It cannot be curbed without mutual cooperation," he said.
John Harrison, head of research of Singapore based
International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism
Research, pointed out the inadequate security measures of
Shahjalal international airport in the capital.
Top officials from National Security Intelligence
(NSI), Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Criminal Investigation
Department (CID), Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Rifles and
Ansar and VDP are participating in the five-day workshop.
Amid earlier warning that Islamist militants may be
trying to regroup, the police and paramilitary forces have
conducted massive anti-militancy operations across Bangladesh.
Islamist militant outfits, including JMB and Harkatul
Jihad Islami (HuJI), have carried out a series of terrorist
attacks to establish a sharia-based Islamic state, leading to
the death of hundreds of people in the last few years.
Sheikk Hasina, who assumed office as Prime Minister in
January after a landslide election win on December 29, 2008,
has looked beyond her borders to tackle the terror menace by
floating the idea of a regional mechanism involving all states
in South Asia.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, March 21, 2010, 23:21