The US is aware of al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri’s audio message which has called for jihad against anti-Islam forces in Bangladesh. A State Department spokesperson told bdnews24.com on Sunday that it rejected al-Qaeda and the use of violence for political purposes.“Moreover, we reject Zawahiri’s characterisation of Bangladesh, which is a moderate, tolerant Muslim society that rejects the kind of extremism espoused by Al-Qaeda,” added the US government official.
The audio clip purportedly delivered by Zawahiri was circulating on the Internet since Saturday calling on Muslims in Bangladesh to wage jihad against “the enemies of Islam”, the secularists.
Zawahiri in the recording questioned the creation of Bangladesh and said the country has just not worked out for its citizens.
The al-Qaeda chief accused the Awami league-led government of killing ‘thousands of people’ during last year’s crackdown on a rally by Hifazat-e Islam at Dhaka’s Motijheel, echoing the claims by the Chittagong-based outfit along with the BNP and the Jamaat.
Speaking in Arabic on the tape released on a website used for militant audios and videos, Zawahiri derided the Bangladesh government for being anti-Islam and secular. The terror outfit’s outrage at the trial of the Jamaat leaders is also palpable.- bdnews24.com
