Offering US help in Bangladesh’s fight against terrorism, US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday expressed his country’s eagerness to closely work with the intelligence agencies of Bangladesh.He came up with his country’s desire during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office.”Bangladesh and the United States will fight against terrorism together, we are interested to work closely with Bangladesh’s intelligence,” he said.Kerry said his country has a number of experts who can help fight against the violent extremism. “We want to help,” he said.PM’s Press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.During the hour-long meeting with the Prime Minister, he said, the US secretary of State put emphasis on exchanging information with Bangladesh.
In reply, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh wants to get have from the US as the country is advanced in technology. “If you give us information, it’ll be helpful for us to hunt down the terrorists,” she said.Kerry also said the non-Syrian terrorists of the IS are returning to their homeland due to their continuous defeat in the battlefield.When the Prime Minister raised the issue of getting money and arms by the IS terrorists, John Kerry said the IS terrorists are getting money through selling the oil from the areas that have been captured by them. “They also impose higher rate of tax on people in their invaded areas,” he added.The Prime Minister said terrorism is a global problem now and the government is working to create mass awareness against this social menace. “Mass people are cooperating with us, religious leaders are also involved in this agenda and they are playing an important role,” she said.Regarding the recent trend of terrorism, she said surprisingly the children of wealthy families are getting involved in such activities.”They’ve everything…these youths are getting involved in these activities as their parents are not giving proper attention to them,” she said.In reply, Kerry said children are playing games full of violence when their parents are going out of the house.Highly praising the socio-economic progress of the country, the US Secretary of State said Bangladesh has been doing a brilliant job in terms of economic development and added that the US is a partner of the country in its development and other issues.John Kerry said Bangladesh and the US can work together in many others sectors like climate change, health and energy.About his visit to the historic Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 in the capital, the US Secretary of state said he was really impressed to see the historical evidence in the house.The Prime Minister requested Kerry to extradite the Bangabandhu killers living in the US. In reply, Kerry said: “I understand your sensitivity, the issue is under review.”Mentioning ‘Friendship to all and malice to none’ as the main motto of the foreign policy of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina put emphasis on maintaining good relationship with all.Terming the US-Bangladesh relation as wonderful, Sheikh Hasina said the ties would be further consolidated in the days to come.She also urged the secretary of the state to allow all Bangladeshi products, except arms, to the US market.Foreign Minister AH Mahmod Ali, Prime Minister’s Advisers Dr Gowher Rizvi, Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA M Ziauddin, US Assistant Secretary on Central and South Asia affairs Nisa Desai Biswal, Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque, PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Barnicat were present.Earlier, on his arrival at the Prime Minister’s Office, Sheikh Hasina herself received the US Secretary of State John Kerry.
source:UNB
