Speaking from Bangladesh Tuesday morning, Secretary of State John Kerry suggested members of the media stop covering (Islamic) terrorism so people won’t “know what’s going on”. In each session, he made the point that Bangladesh must deal with the roots of the attacks, the most recent of which killed 20 people, including 17 foreigners, at a popular restaurant last month in the capital.
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Dozens of small scale attacks have been carried out during the past several years directed at members of religious minority, foreigners, bloggers and security officials to create an internal strife, he observed.
Hasina requested the USA to extradite the killers of “Bangabandhu” and most of his family members, who are living there.
Kerry later in the day is scheduled to meet former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Kerry said he does not believe “the government of Bangladesh has its head in the sand”.
Hasina’s government denies the IS group has a presence in Bangladesh, instead blaming the JMB and other local militant groups for the bloodshed.
“We would fight with Bangladesh to combat terrorism… we have enough experts in this regard and we could help Bangladesh by giving these experts”, he quoted Kerry as telling the Bangladeshi premier at her office.
“It has arguably taken its eye off the ball even as this threat has begun to directly affect Americans”, Kugelman said.
On Saturday, security forces killed three Islamist militants, including a Bangladeshi-born Canadian citizen called Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury who was accused of masterminding the assault on cafe.
The top United States diplomat said this included allowing workers to form unions and affording them full collective bargaining rights.
“I understand your sensitivity, the issue is under review”, Kerry said yesterday.
The PM’s press secretary quoted Kerry as telling Hasina that the Islamic State (IS) has been cornered in Syria and its foreign fighters (non-Syrians) are returning to their countries. Bangladesh’s economy depends heavily on the fortunes of the $28 billion garment industry, which is struggling to improve a poor safety record epitomized by the Rana Plaza disaster of 2013 in which a factory collapse killed more than 1,100 people.
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“Definitely Tamim’s death is a major setback for the terrorists, especially in the short term”, said Abdur Rob, professor of politics and security issues at the private North South University.
