No militant activity in the country: home adviser
NN Online:
Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Sunday (July 6) dismissed claims of militancy in Bangladesh, saying there is “no place for militancy of any kind” in the country.
He made the remarks while speaking to reporters during a visit to the Export Cargo Village at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11 am.
His comments come amid reports that the Malaysian government has deported several Bangladeshi nationals allegedly for militant links.
However, Bangladeshi authorities have denied any such links and asserted that those individuals returned after their visas expired.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a press release clarifying that there are no militants in Bangladesh. The three individuals who returned from Malaysia did so because their visas had expired,” said the adviser.
When asked about reports that the deportees were allegedly raising funds for the Islamic State (IS) in Bangladesh, Jahangir Alam said, “We have not received any official communication from the Malaysian government. What we have is a message, and contrary to that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already issued a clarification.”
He further stated, “There is no militancy here. With the help of the media and law enforcement, we have successfully eradicated militant activity. In the last 10 months, have you [journalists] reported any militant incidents? Earlier, there were such issues, but now there are none.”
Asked whether Bangladesh risks being internationally labeled based on statements from other countries, he said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is best positioned to respond to that.”
Export Cargo Village Inspection
Regarding his visit to the Export Cargo Village, the adviser said he came to inspect fruit and vegetable exports, particularly after recent disruptions related to customs clearance and cold storage facilities.
“There was an issue with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) recently, which affected our exports and caused losses. We’re now looking to expand the cold storage and improve logistics.”
He added that the new export terminal under construction would have enhanced facilities, allowing scanned goods to be temporarily stored in cold storage if they miss scheduled flights.
“We are working to boost exports of various products, and storage capacity is a key part of that strategy.”