AL ministers, leaders laud drives against militants

Several ministers and lawmakers of the ruling Awami League have warned that there will be no room in the country for the militants who are carrying out attacks on people and the police to destabilise the government. Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Saturday said that the militants were conducted attacks due to crackdown by the law enforcers. He also warned that they might hamper the next general elections. Speaking at a programme in the capital’s Agargaon, Quader said that the militants wanted to create an unstable situation by damaging the moral strength of the law enforcers. He said that the attacks were aimed at damaging the country’s image. “We are involved with different parties, but the country is ours. No one will be safe from these subversive activities. “This is a challenge for the nation … and we have to fight militancy in a concerted manner,” Quader said, mentioning the recent militant attacks, police raids and arrests, and haul of arms and ammunition across country. The work on the Metro Rail project had been delayed due to the killing of seven Japanese nationals in the Gulshan attack last year, he said, adding that such attacks worried the foreigners living in Bangladeshis. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam emphasised on a greater movement against militancy. “The government has contained militancy, but could not uproot it. It is not possible for only the police, RAB or other forces to achieve this goal. People from all clusters including teachers, imams and priests should come forward,” he said at a programme of Rajshahi Madar Bux Home Economics College on Saturday. Shahriar alleged that some parties had patronised militants for their political gains in the past. “May be they could not imagine that these militants will become a severe threat someday. “Previously, these militants ruled over the Rajshahi region. But we have been able to control them – thanks to stern actions by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and surveillance of the law enforcers. But we need everyone’s assistance to uproot militancy from the country,” he added. Meanwhile, LGRD Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain has blamed the BNP for patronising militancy. “Only those who give shelter to the militants can accept them. The BNP cannot accept the anti-militancy crackdown because they are the main patroniser of militant activities,” he said after laying foundation of Rajoir municipality in Madaripur. On the other hand, State Minister for Energy Nasrul Hamid Bipu on Saturday said that they had taken strict security measures at the power stations to thwart militant attacks. “Last year we hired foreign consultants. We have beefed up security at Payra, Matarbari, Rampal and other mega construction sites,” he told reporters in Tangail. Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif believes no militants will exist if the crackdown continues. “There is no room for militant activities and terrorism in Bangladesh. We are destroying the militant dens one after another,” lawmaker Hanif said at a religious programme of the Hindus in Jamalpur on Saturday.