“One of the things that has to happen is how we report on this has to maintain perspective, and not empower in any way these terrorist organizations or elevate them in ways that make it easier for them to recruit or make them stronger”, Obama said during a press conference in Malaysia.
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Hasina raised the request during an hour-long meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was on day’s visit to Dhaka on Monday, reported the Daily Star.
He said United States work very closely with Bangladesh and other partners to defeat vicious terrorist networks, particularly those of Daesh (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) and al-Qaeda. Kerry’s remarks are a major blow to the stance.
Hasina’s government has launched a major crackdown on Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party which it accuses of orchestrating a wave of deadly street violence past year in a bid to force the premier to resign.
“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.
The foreign ministry on Tuesday said the issue of repatriation of the “self-confessed” convicted killer of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from the USA was raised and discussed during his brief visit to Dhaka on Monday.
On Saturday, Bangladesh police said they killed three militants, including the mastermind behind the Dhaka attack, during a raid at a two-story house in the Narayanganj district nearby.
U.S. president Barack Obama and Modi launched the “strategic and commercial dialogue” in 2015 in efforts to deepen security and economic cooperation.
Earlier, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali received Kerry at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on his arrival at 9.45am from Geneva by a special aircraft. “We look forward to growing and working together for peace and prosperity”, said Kerry.
“The Dhaka attack did create a strong impression for many in the USA and elsewhere that if left to fester, ISIS will plant roots in South Asia”, said Amarnath Amarasingam, a postdoctoral fellow at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.
Kerry will also meet with BNP leader Khaleda Zia, whose party boycotted parliamentary elections in 2014. “They want to create internal strife”, he said.
The current S& CD would be reviewing the progress made so far in strengthening the agreed upon issues and lay down the road map for the ensuing year, under the two tracks, the Union ministry said.
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Kerry plans to discuss counterterrorism cooperation along with human rights and development with officials.
