![\"kerry-hasina\"](\"http:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/kerry-hasina-300x169.jpg\")
bdnews24.com (Dhaka, August 29) :\u00a0Secretary of State John Kerry has termed his short visit in Dhaka \u201cgood\u201d, and said Bangladesh will see more US engagements in countering terrorism and violent extremism as a result of his visit.<\/p>\n
Speaking before a select group of audience comprising politicians, former diplomats, members of civil society, young professionals and journalists, he also vowed to stand by Bangladesh in the fight against terror.<\/p>\n
He arrived on Monday morning amid the US\u2019s growing security concerns in Bangladesh following the July 1 terrorist attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery and O' Kitchen restaurant in which 20 hostages, including 17 foreigners, were killed.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the EMK Centre before leaving Dhaka after 6.30pm, he said the attack was designed to \u201cdivide\u201d Bangladesh and \u201ccut off\u201d from the rest of the world.<\/p>\n
He said he had a \u201ccandid\u201d conversation with the prime minister and the foreign minister.<\/p>\n
As a result, he said, he was confident that \u201cyou will see more activity and more engagements perhaps\u2026. more presence.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prime minister was \u201cvery clear\u201d in working \u201cvery closely\u201d with the US.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe today agree on additional steps by which our intelligence, our law enforcements will work together in order to get out of this,\u201d Kerry said.<\/p>\n
This was his first visit to Dhaka amid perception that the US is not happy with the government as Washington had reservations about the last parliamentary elections that then the opposition BNP boycotted.<\/p>\n
In his over half-an-hour speech that dominated security issues, Kerry also drew links between upholding democratic principles and addressing violent extremism.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo defeat terrorists, we have to uphold, not betray, the democratic principles that we cherish,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Democracy still provides the \u201cmost resilient and most reliable platform we have for preventing and responding the violent extremism\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n
The US secretary of state said some may argue that when countries face genuine threats, it is difficult to live up to the democratic values.<\/p>\n
At that time even, he said, he believed it was \u201cmore important\u201d to uphold the values of democracy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t, you may quickly feel the frenzy that can come with the opposition panic and hysteria.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stressed on reaching every aspect to fight off terror – from financing to communication to counter messaging and particularly prevention through education, jobs, fairness and transparency.<\/p>\n
Kerry said the US-led coalition against the Islamic State had made \u201csignificant\u201d progress in Syria and Iraq, but it leaves problems to other countries where people go back to or where the social media and propaganda of the group reaches out to.<\/p>\n
His conversations with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali made it clear that \u201cno nation can succeed without all of us sharing information, sharing best practices, sharing creative new techniques and approaches\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most important weapon is communication between us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood governance which all of you can demand is as important as any other steps we take in this fight against violent extremism.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe talked about all aspects including importance of inclusivity of working with people making sure they protect the democratic process even as you come down tough on the perpetrators themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kerry said the US was already working in many areas with the government and civil society, and he was confident that \u201cthe US assistance to Bangladesh will increasingly be designed to help the government address terrorism threats from domestic and international organisations\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am absolutely confident that we will build additional capacity that will be effective.\u201d<\/p>\n
On being asked, he said there was \u201cno argument\u201d with Bangladesh about the nature of terrorists as Dhaka terms them \u201chome-grown\u201d.<\/p>\n
Kerry said they were home-grown as \u201cit\u2019s not foreign fighters coming to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s somebody here in Bangladesh doing this,\u201d he said, but they were influenced elsewhere by the internet, social media and so forth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are connections with some of the operatives here. We made it very clear in our conversations. There is no argument about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to him, the US engagement with Bangladesh was \u201cextremely open and broad\u201d.<\/p>\n
He mentioned the recent financing under a new project, GCERF, to help support grassroots efforts against terrorism. Bangladesh is a pilot participant in that effort.<\/p>\n
The secretary of state also addressed the labour rights and factory safety issues over which the US suspended Bangladesh\u2019s GSP trade privilege.<\/p>\n
He said Bangladesh\u2019s readymade garment industry could benefit \u201cenormously\u201d by empowering workers.<\/p>\n
He lauded Bangladesh\u2019s economic growth, but said growth alone is not a measurement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are the largest economy in the world. We grew as a nation where everybody benefits. When everybody benefits, a nation does better,\u201d Kerry said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
bdnews24.com (Dhaka, August 29) :\u00a0Secretary of State John Kerry has termed his short visit in Dhaka \u201cgood\u201d, and said Bangladesh will see more US engagements in countering terrorism and violent extremism as a result of his visit. Speaking before a select group of audience comprising politicians, former diplomats, members of civil society, young professionals and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":27367,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12,44,2,5,14],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n