Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that whenever the people of the country are in any danger, they seek shelter from the police. The police are friends of the people. It needs to be established. The PM  today (Feb 27) asked the Police to strengthen their efforts in eradicating terrorism, drug abuse, and corruption for the betterment of the society. She said this while inaugurating the Police Week-2024 on Tuesday (February 27) in Dhaka's Rajarbagh Police Lines, as the chief guest. PM Sheikh Hasina awarded Bangladesh Police Medal (BPM) posthumously to the family members of nine Policeman who sacrificed their lives. Sheikh Hasina awarded the Bangladesh Police Medal (BPM-Bravery) to 35 officers and the President Police Medal (PPM-Bravery) to 60 officers  for their outstanding performance in their services over the past year.  

A group of political activists from Bangladesh, who are living in Europe, gathered at the iconic Broken Chair in front of the United Nations in Geneva to condemn religious extremism and terrorism perpetrated by BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh. They held a demonstration and banner campaign during the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council Session. Organised by the Forum for Secular Bangladesh, the theme was "zero tolerance against religious extremism and terrorism in Bangladesh". European Freedom Fighters Associations Bangladesh and Switzerland Chapter of Bangladesh also joined them and raised slogans accusing BNP and Jamaat as the collaborators of terrorism. They called them as Human rights violators who are responsible for killing secular Bangladesh Army personnel during their rule. Nazrul Islam, President, Switzerland Awami League said, “We are here to recognise the genocide of 1971 and we are demanding the United Nations and other international community to recognise the genocide in Bangladesh and Pakistan’s brutal army have to apologise Bangladesh”. Khalilur Rehman, a Bangladeshi human rights activist living in Switzerland accused the West for backing Khalida Zia-led BNP party. He said, “We are observing in Bangladesh that the United States is backing Jamaat and BNP to destroy the country. We gained independence in 1971 by a revolution and we will not allow any such conspiracy”. The demonstration was also joined by former Dutch MP, Harry Van Bommel. He addressed the protesters and said, “No matter the extremism and terrorism comes from groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and even backed by the Pakistan government. Pakistan has bad track record when it comes to state terrorism as it was shown in 1971 by carrying genocide”. Source: ANI

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated that no more tolerance would be shown in case of the happening of 2013-14 like arson terrorism and inhuman atrocities prior to the next national election in the name of movement.   "There will be no scope left to spare if arson terrorism or likewise incidents or attacks to the commoners will take place before the election in the name of movement," she told a community reception hosted in honour of her at the Methodist Central Hall Westminster here. Reports BSS   The premier reminded the countrymen that the BNP-Jamaat alliance carried out mayhem across the country by burning people to death alive, destroying public and private properties by hurling petrol bombs in multi-modal vehicles that included passenger buses, trains and launches during 2013-14 in the name of so-called movement.   Many people including women suffered critical burn injuries in the arson attacks and they have been leading inhuman lives with their injuries, she said.   "We have no objection with your movement. While killing people by arson terrorism and destroying the country's properties are their movements. You had earlier killed 29 police personnel. If any such attempt is made on the lives of my distressed people, no mercy will be shown," she said.   Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap were present on the dais.   UK AL President Sultan Sharif presided over the function while General Secretary Syed Sajedur Rahman Faruk moderated it.   Sheikh Hasina, also President of the ruling Awami League, said it doesn't suit the BNP to speak about democracy as they had played ducks and drakes with the voting rights of the people.   BNP held a farcical election on February 15, 1996 and the people of the country ousted them from the power within one and half month after it assumed power through the election.   "The people of the country never allow the vote riggers to hang on power," she said.   The premier reminded the countrymen that the BNP-Jamaat alliance had prepared a voter list with 1.23 crore fake voters and attempted to hold an election with the list.   On the contrary, the leaders and activists of the Awami League had struggled for long to establish the voting rights of the people and the democracy, she said, adding that many of them sacrificed their lives in doing so.   The prime minister reiterated her pledge to hold a free and fair election, saying that her government has made all the reforms that included enacting law for forming the election commission (EC) alongside making it financially independent.   She said they have introduced the transparent ballot boxes and prepared a voter list with photographs to hold a free and fair election.   Sheikh Hasina said the BNP is now out of the movement for sending Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment.

It was the type of crisis no one in Washington wanted. While there had been some background discussions among Canada, the United States, and other countries in the run-up to the G20 Summit about the Hardeep Singh Nijjar case, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apparently caught Washington by surprise when he decided to accuse India of murdering the terrorist on Canadian soil. Trudeau based his accusations on alleged intelligence provided by the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing group (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand).  Not all intelligence agencies are equal, however; no one fears New Zealand spies and Australia’s Office of National Intelligence focuses more on China than on Canada. Therefore, Trudeau’s statement insinuated he had received intelligence from either the United States or United Kingdom. It is no secret that the United States or Canada spy on allied countries; India does the same thing. To simply say “intelligence shows” is amateurish, though. When there is intelligence, for example, intercepts of phone calls, these are seldom cut-and-dry but rather open to interpretation. Intelligence provides puzzle pieces, but it seldom offers a clear picture.  Nor would any operative speak clearly about their plans, even in the special rooms designed to avoid eavesdropping. When intelligence is clear, for example, when the United Kingdom developed the Enigma device during World War II, the United States and Canada would likely prioritise keeping their penetration secret rather than haphazardly exposing a capability it might take years to restore. When after the murder of Saudi intelligence agent-turned-dissident Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, Turkey revealed it had bugged the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, they did so after cancelling balancing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s desire to embarrass Riyadh over the fact that they would never again receive information from those transmitters. When the United States assassinated Al Qaeda leader Usama Bin Laden, they did so only after calculating the damage caused by exposure of America’s then-secret stealth helicopter capabilities. Make no mistake: The United States is frustrated with Trudeau’s willingness to expose intelligence collection and capabilities especially at a time when the intelligence was murky at best. While the White House has tried to dampen rhetoric against India in sharp contrast to its actions in the aftermath of Khashoggi’s murder, David Cohen, the US ambassador to Canada, appeared on Canadian TV and confirmed that Canada received “Five Eyes” intelligence. “There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think that’s as far as I’m comfortable going,” Cohen said. Cohen’s remarks were not wise. He appeared on television for its own sake, stirred the pot, but ultimately said nothing. From his perspective, he simply wanted to be available for Canadian TV. Indians should understand US diplomacy and Canada.  American ambassadors come in two forms: career and political. The US President usually sends a political ambassador to Canada, someone who contributed generously to his campaign.  Not all political ambassadors are equal. India and Japan regularly receive highly capable American advisors. Because Canada neighbours the United States, speaks English, and most business is done directly with direct phone calls, ambassador posts in Ottawa are usually reserved for those who want the honorific but do not have top skills that the State Department can trust in a crisis.  Cohen was a successful businessman and, from his stint as chief-of-staff to Philadelphia’s mayor, he understands city politics, but he is not someone whom the United States trusts in a crisis. Technically speaking, American ambassadors supervise all elements in US embassies including the CIA chief-of-station.  In practice, however, the US ambassador in Ottawa keeps a hands-off approach. It is doubtful that Cohen even knew about any Nijjar-related issues before Trudeau’s comments last week. He is playing catch up and trying to assuage his Canadian audience with whom he must interact daily. Frankly, the same pattern extends to American diplomats stationed in Canada. Canada is seldom a first-choice destination for ambitious diplomats.  Often, the State Department’s personnel shop reserves slots in Ottawa or at the various provincial consulates for diplomats who must stay close to home for certain reasons, be they family issues or health. No top State Department official built their career in Canada. Secretary of State Antony’s Blinken’s comments should worry India more. Blinken built his career in the Senate as Biden’s chief foreign policy aide. In the culture of the senate, posturing and virtue signalling trump’s policy responsibility. If American progressives seize upon this issue as a cause célèbre no matter Nijjar’s terrorism, Blinken’s political instincts will be to follow rather than lead.  This dynamic has haemorrhaged Biden administration relations with Israel and Saudi Arabia. Many American progressives harbour an irrational antagonism to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. If Modi walked on water, they would belittle him for not knowing how to swim. Behind-the-scenes, though, Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan are smart enough to hope the problem will just go away. This might occur in two ways: First, a new crisis might simply shift the focus in Washington and relieve the pressure on the White House and State Department. Blinken and Sullivan pursued this strategy after the Afghanistan withdrawal, and they hope the Nijjar story will likewise simply disappear as focus shifts elsewhere. A more likely scenario is that it will disappear when Trudeau loses his premiership, something polls show will likely happen in the next election. While Trudeau can remain in power until 2025 due to a deal with the left-leaning New Democrats, such a deal is not binding and elections could occur much sooner. The question for New Delhi and Washington then becomes whether the source of the current crisis is Canada or Trudeau’s superficiality and venality? Certainly, economic and educational ties suggest India and Canada are a relationship too important to discard. Trudeau is like Donald Trump; the personality is the problem, not the country. Indeed, the silver-lining to the crisis is already obvious: No longer will either Ottawa nor Washington ignore New Delhi’s security concerns. Whether the United States wanted to or not, it increasingly understands it cannot ignore the violence and terrorism Khalistani separatism represents nor the movement’s lack of popular legitimacy. Source: firstpost.com

The head constable of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police was killed after unknown assailants opened fire at him on Quetta's Jail Road late on Sunday night, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. According to officials, head Constable Saeed Ahmed, posted in the CTD, was sitting with his friends outside a shop in the Jail Road area when armed men riding motorcycles opened fire and fled from the spot, Dawn reported. Police said that the head constable received multiple gunshot wounds, which resulted in his death. Later, Frontier Corps (FC) personnel and police rushed to the site of the incident after receiving information regarding the incident. The FC personnel shifted the body to the civil hospital for medico-legal formalities. On September 9, a soldier was killed in an exchange of fire with terrorists in the North Waziristan area of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dawn reported citing the military wing. On September 6, four soldiers were killed and 12 terrorists were killed in an operation to repulse terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Chitral district, Dawn reported. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in the press release said that the exchange of fire took place in the Mir Ali area. In the statement, ISPR said that Lance Naik Jamshed Khan was killed during his exchange of fire. It further said that the area was being sanitised to eliminate any terrorists found in the region. ISPR said, "Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve." Notably, Pakistan has witnessed a rise in terrorist activities in recent months, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan after the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year. Earlier in July, a think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said that 389 people died in terror and suicide attacks in half of the current year, according to Dawn. In the report, the data revealed that a total of 271 attacks had taken place in Pakistan during the period under review, which took 389 lives and injured 656 others, according to Dawn. Last year, in the same period, Pakistan witnessed 151 attacks, causing 293 deaths and 487 injuries. The figures depict a staggering 79 per cent increase in attacks during the first half of 2023 in comparison to the period last year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged on Sunday the country’s alem-ulama to cooperate with her government to eradicate religious superstitions, terrorism and militancy so no one can misguide the children by wrong interpretation of Islam. “I want your cooperation in eradicating religious, superstition, terrorism and militancy. We especially request you to keep watch so our children don’t follow the wrong path,” she said. (Reports UNB) The prime minister was addressing the award giving ceremony of National hifzul quran competition 2023 held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC). She urged the Islamic scholars of the country to protect the dignity of Islam, the religion of peace, also urged the parents and guardians to watch where their children go and with whom they associate. Hasina said Islam, the religion of peace, is getting a bad name because of the terrorism and militant activities of a few people all over the world. “It is not acceptable to me that these terrorists will be known today by the name of Islam and the saddest thing is that a handful of people use our religion to carry out militant and terrorist activities,” she said. The PM said that she does not know who taught them that if anyone kills people, that person can go to heaven. “This is not written anywhere in the Qur'an and the Prophet (PBUH) did not say it. In his farewell hajj speech he told Muslims to show tolerance towards all religions. This is the essence of Islam,” she said. The PM said that she does not know who taught them that if anyone kills people, that person can go to heaven. “This is not written anywhere in the Qur'an and the Prophet (PBUH) did not say it. In his farewell hajj speech he told Muslims to show tolerance towards all religions. This is the essence of Islam,” she said.

Suspicion of a militant hideout, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) conducted a drive in Kulaura thana of Moulivibazar on Saturday morning. Additional Superintendent of Police Mahmudul Hasan in Moulvibazar confirmed the matter. Muhibul Islam, chairman of Karmadha Union Parishad (UP) of Kulaura said Law enforcement forces raided a newly constructed house on a hill in Baishali Bari area of ​​East Tatti Uli village of the union.

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said, I am delighted to join you all in this seminar on “Buddhism & Buddhist Circuit Development between Bangladesh & India”. My sincere thanks to the organizers for this initiatve and inviting me. The topic is of immense cultural and historical significance for Bangladesh and India and in the region.  At the outset, in this fateful month of August, I humbly recall with deep respect our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahman- the gretest Bengali of all time and I also remember with deep respect our ShaheedBangamata, the family members of bangabandhu and all the martyrs who were brutally killed in the fateful night of August 15, 1975. Mr. Momen said, "It is our constitutional commitment to ensure secularism as it is mentioned in the preamble as one of the fundamental principles of Bangladesh. Article 8 enshrines secularism as one of the fundamental principles of state policy. Article 12 elaborates further on secularism and freedom of religion. This inclusive provision in the constitution establishes a harmonious relationship between the state and all religions, including Buddhism. Such provision has entrusted us with the responsibility for the preservation and promotion of all religious heritage including the Buddhist heritage, further promoting the interfaith harmony and understanding in our nation.  In Bangladesh, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians - the people from all the religions exhibit love, empathy, mutual respect, and support for eachother. Their deep affection for the country is evident, as they collectively fought during the war of liberation in 1971 and achieved independence. Following the legacy of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his able daughter Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is pursuing the principle of secularism to the fullest extent. Her famous slogan,"Religion is for individuals, while festivals for all" is seen as the “mantra” for peaceful co-existence of all religions in Bangladesh, which is really appreciated all over the world, especially in our neighboring countries.  In Bangladesh people from all religions are peacefully living and promoting their culture and heritage, all religions are equally treated in Bangladesh. We don’t discriminate." AK Momen also said, "Buddhism is the world’s fourth largest religion with over 520 million followers, or over 7% of the global population. Buddhism holds a variety of traditions, beliefs, and spiritual practices largely based on original teachings attributed to the Buddha and his philosophies.  There are about 1 million Buddhists living in Bangladesh. They form about 0.6% of total population of Bangladesh. Over 65% of the Buddhist population is concentrated in the Chattogram Hill Tracts region. Like the Buddhists around the world, the Buddhists in Bangladesh are peace loving people. Although the size of the Buddhist population is not significant; Buddhist culture and heritage have played a significant role in our national stature.  To ensure religious freedom and coexistence to establish peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Chittagong Hill Tracts peace Accord was signed in 1997. Recently government has appointed Ambassador SupradipChakma as the Chairman of the Hill Tracts Development Board. Buddhism is a religion of peace. Lord Buddha was a great master of humanity. He tied to rescue human being from sufferings. He was born as a human being, lived as a human being, achieved Nirvana as a human being and thus exalted the dignity of a human being. He promoted ‘Ohingsho’ – non-violence and it is time for its followers to adhere to his teachings of non-violence." Foreign Minister Momen added, "Buddhism has a deep-rooted heritage and a significant cultural circuit in the South Asian region. South Asia is recognized as the Heartland of Buddhism.  India and Bangladesh have a history of friendly relations, deeply rooted in shared culture and heritage. Buddhism, being an integral part of both our cultures, opens up avenues for mutual engagement. I strongly believe that Buddhist Circuit Development between the Buddhists of Bangladesh and India may deepen the people-to-people contact and bondage between the two countries.  Bangladesh is the birthplace of the great Buddhist scholar AtishDipankar who went to Tibet and propagated Buddhism there for which the people of Tibet still pay respect to him.  Bangladesh, once known as the ancient kingdom of Pundravardhana, hosts a number of Buddhist archaeological sites and monuments.  From the ancient monastic establishments in Mahasthangarh to the revered Mahabodhi Temple in Paharpur, these sacred sites stand as a testament to the profound impact Buddhism had on this region. As we take pride in our cultural diversity, the recognition of this Buddhist heritage becomes an integral part of our identity.  India, on the other hand, is also renowned for its rich Buddhist heritage, which dates back more than two millennia. Buddhism originated in India over two and a half millennia ago, when Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya. Since then, the teachings of Buddhism have spread across the region and beyond, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural landscape. The birthplace of Buddhism, India hosts a lot of sacred sites and monuments that form the revered Buddhist circuit.  Buddhist cultural links between Bangladesh and India may act as a catalyst for further enhancing friendship and understanding, particularly in the area of people-to-people contact. As pilgrims travel between our nations, they forge connections and create lifelong memories that transcend borders. These interactions contribute to the promotion of secularism by fostering respect and appreciation for diverse beliefs and traditions." He underscored 5 specific proposals for further engagement in this area:  We need to use Buddhism and its heritage as a tool for “bonding friendship” among the countries. To this effect, the conservation, development, and promotion of these heritages remain crucial. This is crucial not only for spiritual followers but also for those interested in exploring the rich history and cultural diversity of the South Asian region.  While we may continue to work bilaterally, we also need to follow a regional-level approach within South Asia and expand it to Southeast Asia to unleash the potential of the region’s Buddhist heritage for inclusive development. We need to strengthen activities within regional organizations like SAARC and BIMSTEC to explore ways and means to conserve and promote cultural diversity in the region, especially promoting the Buddhist circuit. Establishing a good Buddhist circuit can play a catalytic role in this regard.  We need to foster a united effort in order to ensure sustainable tourism development to complement the overall sustainable development of the region. Organize regular regional forums and conferences on cultural heritage and tourism development in South Asia to share experiences, best practices, and challenges related to preserving and promoting Buddhist heritage. Think-tank and various religious organizations can play their due role. " Foreign Minister Momen appreciates this initiative of Dharmarajika to arrange this event and said, "Lord Buddha was a torchbearer of peace and humanity. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahman in his historic UNGA speech in 1974 underscored the importance of Peace for the survival of mankind. In his pursuit of world peace and human rights, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was awarded the Joliot-Curie Medal of Peace on 23 May 1973. Bangabandhu always believed that peace is imperative for development.  Following Bangabandhu’s philosophy, Bangladesh became an ardent advocate for world peace.  His able daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is also working relentlessly for peace and proposperity for all. She promoted an UN resolution titled Culture of Peace. It believes that all violence, terrorism and war emanates for a mindset of intolerance, a mindset of disrespect towards others. Therefore, if we can inculcate a mindset of respect, a mindset of tolerance towards other irrespective of religion, ethnicity, color and race, we can hope to have sustainable peace across nations. Let us work together to achieve such goal.  In fact, for ensuring prosperity in the region, we need peaceful co-existence of all nations and all countries. Buddhist circuit development can play a vital role in this regard. The teaching of Lord Buddha could be a good basis for a peaceful society and peaceful region."

The Taliban has promised to keep terrorists out of Afghanistan, but the United States has stated that it still has the ability to carry out its own operations against terrorism in the Pak-Afghan region, Dawn reported. Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the US State Department, made these remarks in response to a query regarding recent terrorist assaults carried out within Pakistan from terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan. Nine soldiers were killed last week when terrorists assaulted a military facility in Zhob, Balochistan. The military’s media branch, ISPR, released a statement shortly after the incident, expressing “serious concerns” about the existence of terrorist “safe havens” in Afghanistan and urging Kabul not to allow terrorists to utilise their territory for carrying out strikes inside Pakistan, according to Dawn. Dawn is a Pakistani English-language newspaper that was launched in 1941. The message also served as a reminder to the caretaker Afghan government of their obligations under the Doha Agreement. The US military finally left Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, in compliance with the agreement that the US and Afghan Taliban signed in Doha, Qatar, in February 2020. Asked if the US expects the Taliban rulers to abide by the commitments they made in Doha, Mille said, “I will say that we will hold them to their commitments. But as we have said before, we retain the ability to conduct our own operations in the region to ensure that, regardless of any promises that the Taliban make and regardless of their relative ability or willingness to uphold them.” He added that the United States retains the right to protect American interests. Asked how confident he was that the Taliban would keep their promises, Miller said, “I don’t want to express any amount of confidence or lack of confidence”, reported Dawn. To a question about the Pakistani government’s plan to hold elections in early October, the US official said, “I will make clear that we support the peaceful upholding of fundamental democratic principles such as free media, free speech, freedom of assembly.” The United States, he said, champions the rule of law, not just in Pakistan but around the world. “These principles are the foundations for democratic elections. I have spoken to this both with respect to Pakistan specifically and of course, as it relates to other countries on numerous occasions,” Miller added. Responding to another question about an attack on a 150-year-old temple in Karachi, he said, “We support the free exercise of religion anywhere in the world and oppose any attempts or uses of violence to suppress that right of people to exercise their freedom of religion”, Dawn reported.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon pilgrims and scholars to contribute more for building a modern and knowledge-based nation by keeping children away from militancy and terrorism. Prime Minister said, "I call upon you (pilgrims and scholars) to stand bravely against militancy and terrorism so that our young generation can stay away from militancy and terrorism and be trained with modern technology to build a beautiful Bangladesh." Sheikh Hasina urged this while inaugurating the Hajj Programme-2023 at the Hajj office in the capital's Ashkona yesterday. She said, "Islam, the religion of peace and it is always help to the human rights. Pointing out that Islam is being slaged off because of some people who commit militancy and terrorism in the name of Islam, Pm Hasina said, "In fact those who create militancy and terrorism have no religion."