Hasina calls for regional anti-terror tie-up

Hasina calls for regional anti-terror tie-up

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Dhaka: Bangladesh Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina has said her new government issued orders to uproot militancy in the country while an initiative was under way to pursue the formation of a South Asian Anti-Terrorist Task Force in line with her party's election manifesto.

"I have already directed the ministries concerned to uproot militancy and asked all intelligence agencies to activate themselves," Hasina said in her first parliamentary statement on the second of the maiden session of Bangladesh's ninth parliament on Wednesday evening. "I have also asked the authorities concerned to find out their patrons and financiers and source of their weapons."

Hasina said, initiatives were also taken to pursue the proposed regional task force as suggested in her election manifesto to "track down militants and bring them to justice" through intensified cooperation among the police forces and judiciaries of the regional countries.

The premier said adding that she also asked particularly the religious schools or madrassas to keep their institutions free from extremism while warned of tough actions against banks and other institutions to be found involved in terror financing. "We will have multifaceted sincere efforts to control militancy."

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni earlier said terrorism would be a priority for the new government, installed with three-fourths majorities in December 29 general elections, while it would play a pioneering role for effective regional cooperation to fight militancy.

"Terrorism turned out to be a matter of worldwide concern (but) we will take effective steps in consultation with our neighbouring countries against it," she told reporters on the first day in office earlier this month. Awami League proposed the formation of the regional task force to fight terrorism and militancy while Hasina in her post-election press conference reiterated the proposal saying it could end the mutual blame gaming on terrorism issue "between the countries in our region".

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