Bangladesh not to allow terror activity on its soil
Bangladesh has assured India that it will not allow even "an inch of its territory" to be used by an Indian insurgent group or any other terrorist outfit.
Bangladesh has assured India that it will not allow even "an inch of its territory" to be used by an Indian insurgent group or any other terrorist outfit.
"We will not let an inch of our territories to be used by anyone, either an Indian insurgent group or any other terrorist group," Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni told CNN-IBN in an interview in Dhaka.
Dhaka also underlined that it will do all it can to combat terrorism and expressed support for New Delhi's proposal of a South Asian task force to combat terrorism.
"Some groups were banned and if there are still terror groups working inside Bangladesh, if we have any kind of indication from anyone or any proof, this government will do everything that is possible to combat that, combat those forces," she stressed.
"Within our national borders through our national mechanism and at the same time we would like to cooperate with our neighbours so that the spillover effect is not there or there are no cross-border activities," Moni stressed.
Moni gave a similar assurance to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee when he visited Dhaka earlier this month.
She stressed said that Bangladesh now needs to "fully utilise" the mechanisms that exist within their country to combat terrorists. "At the same time, we must create and utilise global mechanisms as well. This South Asian task force (on terror) can be one such mechanism," she said.
During his visit to Dhaka, Mukherjee had suggested the creation of a regional mechanism to combat terrorism in the region.
Moni's assurance signals the India-friendly attitude of Hasina Wajed government in Dhaka and its determination to crack down on radical Islamist parties and terrorist outfits.
India had repeatedly alleged that anti-India insurgents thrived in Bangladesh during the previous Khaleda Zia government that depended on Islamist parties for its political survival.
Moni also made a strong pitch for regional cooperation and friendlier ties with India.
"In these times, no country can think just about itself but about the region. Here we even share the same rivers, so unless we cooperate, how can we achieve to deliver on these promises?" she said.
"There is no escaping the fact that we are neighbours [with India]. Unless we cooperate economically, socially, and all sorts of other ways, its not going to be possible," she added.
