Kerry urges Bangladesh to step up efforts against terrorism

US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) shakes hand with Bangladesh counterpart Mahmood Ali (C) as US ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bernicat (2R) looks on following Kerry’s arrival at Dhaka airport on August 29, 2016.

Hasina’s administration has consistently denied that ISIS has gained a foothold in the country and Kerry’s remarks are a major blow to that stance.

As he earlier offered counter-terrorism assistance, the official meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart was dominated by the security issue alongside other bilateral matters. Kerry confirmed on his Twitter account that during the meetings were addressed security issues. Kerry is expected to meet with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Nirmala Sitharaman, reported NDTV.

“I told him that there is no such terrorist or militants from outside or who are connected with the [ISIL], but there are militants inside our country and they are homegrown”, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told Reuters news agency.

“These are issues to be disclosed gradually”, he said.

When the premier wanted to know the source of money of the IS terrorist outfit, the USA secretary of state said the group is earning money by selling oil from the fields that it captured and imposing levy on the general people of the IS-dominated regions. “If you give us information, it’ll be helpful for us to hunt down the terrorists”, she said. Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation, is reeling from a wave of murders of secular, liberal activists and religious minorities.

The shootings came just two days after police killed the suspected mastermind of the cafe attack during a gunbattle outside Dhaka.

The most recent attack killed 20 people, including 17 foreigners, last month in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital.

“What a tragedy to have such valiant and courageous leadership stories from the people of Bangladesh in such a moment of violence and cowardice”.

Bangladesh’s former prime minister and current opposition leader Khaleda Zia also met John Kerry in Dhaka.

“That’s the nature of the beast that we are dealing with today”, Kerry said.

Kerry has underscored the need for “more frequent” communication with Bangladesh for fighting terrorism and militancy in arms, reports the Daily Star. The United States is proud to be a friend and strong supporter of the fulfillment of his vision. “So we are working with local partners to make Bangladesh resilient against all odds”, he said.

Kerry, on his first visit to Bangladesh as secretary of state, planned to discuss counterterrorism cooperation, along with human rights and economic development.