Kerry heads to Bangladesh, India amid South Asian tensions

Secretary of State John Kerry said us and Bangladesh intelligence and law enforcement agencies will work more closely together to fight extremists after a spate of attacks on locals and foreigners alike raised concerns the Islamic State is spreading its network here.

According to analysts, the visit takes place amid the perception that the United States is not happy with the incumbent government following the last parliamentary elections that Washington did not find “credible” as BNP-led opposition boycotted the vote. Kerry’s blunt statement followed the July 1 attack on a cafe in an upscale district of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, in which 22 people were killed – mostly non-Muslims and foreigners, including one American.

Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has requested the U.S. to extradite the killers of her father and founder of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“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.

Sheikh Hasina also said that she had already arranged video conferences with the cross section of people of the 64 districts of the country to mobilize public opinion against terrorism and militancy.

“Dozens of smaller-scale attacks have been carried out during the past several years, often directed at members of religious minorities, foreigners, bloggers, and security officials, and the reason for this is obviously they want to divide you”.

The US offered Bangladesh counter-terrorism assistance after last month’s deadly cafe attack in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone.

US Secretary of State visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 at 11.30 am and paid respects to founding father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

In response to Hasina’s request, Kerry said that the USA was considering the request.

The collapse of a garment factory complex in 2013 shone a global spotlight on appalling pay and conditions in Bangladesh’s clothing industry, a mainstay of the economy. “The prime minister said that intelligence-sharing would largely benefit Bangladesh”.

He is also scheduled to hold talks with Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali.

“We need to exchange information to combat terrorism”, said Kerry, according to Ihsanul Karim, press secretary of Bangladesh’s prime minister, who briefed the media after the meeting.