BSS-36 Terrorism and militancy

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BSS-36

PM-PRESS-POLITICS-2

Terrorism and militancy

Asked about the apprehension of militant attacks, the premier said there is always an apprehension of militant attacks despite the government has been successfully tackling militancy since the Holey Artisan attack in the capital.

The intelligence agencies have remained alert to this end, she said, adding, “I held talks with the chiefs of intelligence agencies last (Thursday) night in this respect.”

Stressing the need for collective resistance against militancy, she said that all should raise voice against the menace alongside the intelligence agencies.

“A massive social awareness is necessary to fight militancy and terrorism effectively,” she continued.

Referring to the assassinations of the grenade attacks on an anti-terrorism rally of the Awami League in the capital on August 21, 2014, the attack on her rally in Chittagong in 1988, and arson attacks carried out by the BNP-Jamaat in 2013, 2014 and 2015, she said there were always risk of terror attacks.

The BNP-Jamaat had inhumanly tortured the Awami League leaders and workers alongside the Hindu and Christian communities across the country after assuming power in 2001.

In this context, she said, the Father of the Nation and four national leaders were also killed in 1975. “Another inmate of our family Zyan Chowdhury, grandson of Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, who lost his brother Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni and sister-in-law Arju Moni in the terror attack on August 15, 1975, was killed in the bomb blasts in Sri Lanka on April 21 last,” she mentioned.

Nusrat Issue

Replying to another question regarding Nusrat killing, the premier said, “None irrespective of political affiliations will be spared for committing such heinous attack.”

She strongly criticized the BNP-Jamaat for introducing the culture of killing people in arson attacks in the name of movements.

Reshuffle of Awami League from grassroots

Asked about the move to reshuffle the Awami League from the grassroots, she said, “We have already formed eight divisional committees to form union, upazila, district and city levels committees as part of the initiative to reshuffle the party from the grassroots.”

The committees of the Awami League will be made digital and a committee has been formed to this end, she said.

Asked about creating future leader to lead the party and the country as well after her retirement, Sheikh Hasina, also President of the Awami League said, “Awami League is a political party and it has a constitution to run it. The party will decide the future leader.”

Job risk at broadcast and print media

Replying to a query about job risk in mass media due to not digitalizing the cable network and introducing pay channel system, the premier said that many applications have been submitted to the government for taking permission of new channels.

“I have directed the information minister to give permission to the channels as employment will be generated out of it, she added.

The government has already launched the Bangabandhu Satellite as part of the digitization process, but the Bangladeshi TV channels do not show any interest to use it rather using the foreign satellite giving huge money.

In replying to another query, the premier said, there will be risk for print media due to the advancement of technology, saying, “Many famous newspapers across the globe have already closed their print editions as they go on online.”

Wage board

The government has completed its work regarding formation of the wage board, she said, adding that now it depends on the owners how much they will implement.

She said that they have no responsibility from now on to this respect as its implementation depends on the owners and journalists.

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