DHAKA, July 13, 2020 (BSS) – US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to assisting Bangladesh in its anti-terrorism efforts.
He praised Bangladesh for continuing “to strengthen anti-terrorism efforts on many fronts – through its robust anti-money laundering measures and standing up additional Anti-Terrorism Tribunals around the country”.
The US envoy also lauded Bangladesh’s endeavor in expanding digital evidence efforts to investigate and prosecute terrorist crimes being committed with computers and through digital media.
Millar made the remark while inaugurating a three-part webinar series entitled “Criminal Influences on the Dark Web and in the Use of Cryptocurrency” organized by the US Embassy here and the US Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (DOJ-OPDAT) last week, a US embassy press release said today.
While opening the webinar series, Miller praised the law enforcement heroes, including all participants, who bravely and selflessly meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said they “have my respect, admiration, and gratitude for the very difficult and dangerous job [they] do so very well”.
Almost 50 prosecutors, investigators, judges, financial analysts, and government officials from Bangladesh met virtually through an interactive online platform to learn how criminal organizations use the dark web and cryptocurrency to conduct drug trafficking, money laundering, and other nefarious activities.
The instructor for the course is the Department of Justice’s John Ghose, who is the International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Attorney for the Dark Web and Cryptocurrency.
The first session of the series, entitled “Combating Criminal Dark Web Marketplaces during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” focused on how criminals use the dark web, through anonymous browsers and hidden services, to capitalize on the anxiety resulting from the pandemic.
The second and third sessions of the series will focus on cryptocurrency – illegal to use or possess in Bangladesh – as a vehicle for payments at dark web marketplaces.
Conducting the three-part “Criminal Influences on the Dark Web and in the Use of Cryptocurrency” webinar series is just one of the many ways the United States works together with Bangladesh government to fight terrorism and transnational crime in the region, said the release.
Since 2016, the United States has obligated over $63.5 million cumulatively for counterterrorism assistance in Bangladesh, including this webinar series offered by OPDAT.