Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said a United Nations report on al-Qaeda’s expansion in Bangladesh is speculative, and the government is not taking it into consideration.
He made the remarks to reporters Monday afternoon.
On improvements in law and order, the home minister said: “Whether people are satisfied with law and order is for the public to say. We would say we have managed to improve the law-and-order situation. However, improving it to meet public expectations will take more time. Only six months have passed for us, and within that time we have carried out extensive reform work.”
A recent UN Security Council report expressed concern over al-Qaeda activity in Bangladesh, bringing the issue of militancy in the country back into public discussion. However, the government has maintained that no militant activity exists in Bangladesh.
The UN report states that al-Qaeda is attempting to establish permanent bases and secret cells in Bangladesh, a claim that law enforcement officials have said is being examined. These claims could not be independently verified.
The report further states that AQIS (al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent) is transforming from a fragmented group into a regional terrorist organization. Rather than operating as a large unit, it is now said to be working through small cells scattered across various locations. The organization has also reportedly built a strong logistical and financial network, according to the report.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report