Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said yesterday the government is worried over the international militant organisations’ call for “jihad” rather than BNP’s call for mounting anti-government movements in the country.
“Some international extremist organisations are trying to wield influence in South Asia, including Bangladesh and this has become a matter of concern for the government. The government is working out how these extremist organisations can be resisted,” he told reporters at Ashulia in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka city.
“People do not believe that the BNP can mount its movement to oust the government in the near future, and nor has the government taken into cognisance the BNP’s call for [anti-government] movements,” he said.
In early September, al-Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri announced in a video that a South Asian branch of its international armed group had been established “to raise the flag of jihad” in the region.
The al-Qaeda video came six months after a previous call to Bangladeshi Muslims to adopt al-Qaeda’s version of Islam and take part in the “holy war”. An audio message believed to be authentic, calling on Bangladeshis to join the movement, was released in January this year.
Earlier on Wednesday, Dhaka city police arrested five militant suspects and came up with a statement the next day that the recent call by al-Qaeda Chief Ayman al-Zawahiri is the inspiration for militants in Bangladesh.
“Inspired” by the recent call by the al-Qaeda chief Zawahiri, a group of local militants were preparing to wage armed war against Bangladesh to establish Shariah law, by organising AQIS (al-Qaeda in the Indian Sub-Continent), the detective and investigation wing of of the city police, said in a statement.
Member of Parliament for Dhaka 19 seat Enamur Rahman, Hamim Group Managing Director AK Azad, General Manager Masudur Rahman, among others, accompanied the Road Transport and Bridges Minister yesterday.
