Kerry called Monday for Bangladesh to step up efforts to fight extremist violence and protect and promote human rights amid increasing concern about terrorism in the South Asian nation in the wake of a series of militant attacks.
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“So I’m confident that our assistance to Bangladesh will increasingly be created to help the government address terrorism threats from domestic and trans-national organisations”, Kerry said.
“Democracy”, he said, “still provides the most resilient and reliable platform we have for preventing and responding to violent extremism.to defeat terrorists, we must uphold, not betray, the democratic principles we cherish and they abhor”.
He is also scheduled to hold talks with Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali.
Kerry’s maiden visit to Bangladesh, at the verge of Obama administration’s tenure-end, is deemed “significant” by diplomats as they think the United States is giving importance to Hasina’s government after lending a cold shoulder for years.
In reply, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh wants U.S. assistance as they are advanced in technology. Kerry was making his first visit to Bangladesh. Victims of the attacks by suspected Islamists have included secular bloggers, gay rights activists and followers of minority religions including Hindus, Christians and Muslim Sufis and Shiites.
As he earlier offered counter-terrorism assistance, the official meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart was dominated by the security issue alongside other bilateral matters. The gruesome attack has prompted foreigners, including potential investors, to leave Bangladesh – sparking worries for its garment industry, the world’s second largest after China.
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.
The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Before leaving Dhaka this evening Kerry had a meeting with main Opposition BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. “We look forward for growing and working together for peace and prosperity”.
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Kerry, who aims to try to further boost U.S. economic ties with India on his two-day visit, will be accompanied by U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and senior officials from 12 U.S. government agencies and institutions.
