Indrani Bagchi    

Bangladesh has been collaborating with India to counter terrorism, said H T Imam, political adviser to PM Sheikh Hasina. In an exclusive conversation with TOI, Imam said Hasina had instituted a “zero tolerance policy against militancy and terrorism”. But as general elections approach, Imam stressed on the fact that they were also on high alert to check ISI activities to “destabilise” Bangladesh.

“We will not allow Bangladeshi territory to be used by any militants or any party to launch activities against others, notably against India. It’s not only our security but we are conscious of India’s security as well. We have been collaborating with India on the issue.” Imam said.

“We have created new outfits for countering terrorism inside Bangladesh. After the Holey Artisan Bakery attack, we were able to thwart another attack in Sholakia. We have conducted a series of raids in Narayanganj, Sylhet, Dhaka to flush out militants and their supporters, and these operations are ongoing. I believe we have been able to crush the backbone of militants and radicals,” he added.

The opposition BNP, he alleged, collaborated with Pakistan against Bangladesh’s interests. “Pakistan’s ISI role remains, allied with BNP and Jamaat, to destabilise Bangladesh and interfere in our politics. Pakistan is a military state. Most important part of it is the intelligence apparatus. They try everything. This time, too, we suspect there are attempts,” he said.

On home-grown radicalisation, Imam said that the government had embarked on an awareness campaign. “We have TV campaigns telling parents to keep a watch on their children, monitor what they are doing. We are also keeping an eye on Facebook,” he added.

With 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the threat of radicalisation was real, Imam said. “We keep a close watch on them too. There is a screening process — when the first wave of refugees came, our PM ordered the immigration department and police to install a biometric identification system for them. We have covered all of them so we have precise information about all of them. When there is any suspicious movement, we can track and deal of it,” he added.

Indrani.Bagchi@timesgroup.com

Courtesy: Times Group-09072018