Govt to hunt down patrons of terror attacks: PM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday vowed to hunt down the patrons of recent terror attacks in the country, no matter who they are.
‘Punishment is a must for those who support and nurture militants… I don’t want to see who they’re and what they do,’ she said.
The prime minister said this in her introductory speech at the Awami League central working committee meeting held at her official residence Ganabahban.
She said the government will surely take appropriate punitive measures against the culprits involved in terrorism and militancy as it is now searching for the root cause of this social menace.
‘We’re looking for the roots of this militancy….we’ll dig out from where they’ve got the money and arms, and who’ve instigated them, and at whose instruction they’ve done it. We’ll find out and we can do that,’ she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League chief, said her government will find out how these terrorists killed innocent people in cold blood. ‘An enquiry team is working on that.’
She said the government will strengthen the mass people to face any sort of challenge against the country.
‘Strengthening our people is important in any calamity…that’s the main strength as people are the biggest power. When people will become cautious, there’ll be no place for militants in the country,’ the prime minister said adding that the country will be freed from militancy and terrorism with the cooperation of all.
Referring to her address to the nation following the July 1 terror attack in Gulshan restaurant, she said an anti-terrorism and militancy consensus have developed among people following that. ‘We’ll have to move forward imbued with our Liberation War spirit.’
The Awami League chief said she has the conviction that the darkness will not prevail anymore. ‘We’ve started our journey towards the light, this journey will continue, and Bangladesh will surely march forward,’ she said.
The prime minister said the religion of peace Islam has been undermined with these killings, and such incidents will create anti-Islam attitude among the people of other religions. ‘This is an obstacle to those who want to put Islam at a higher place performing its rituals peacefully.’
Hasina mentioned that these terrorists and militants do not believe in Islam. ‘They’re just killers, militants and terrorists. They’ll get the punishment. They’ll get the punishment if they are alive, if not they’ll get the punishment hereafter,’ she said.
Earlier, the prime minister reiterating her government’s zero tolerance stance to rein in terrorism, she said the government will contain militancy and terrorism by any means.
‘We’ll surely eradicate militancy and terrorism whatever the name it takes. We won’t allow any sort of militancy and terrorism on the country’s soil,’ she said.
The prime minister was speaking at the first-ever ‘Public Administration Award’ giving ceremony among 30 officials and employees as well as institutions for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
The prize-giving ceremony was held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium with public administration minister Syed Asharaful Islam in the chair.
She asked the public servants to work keeping in mind that militancy and terrorism in any form will not be allowed on this land and have to resist the social menace.
The prime minister also expressed her resolve to ensure peace and security of people. ‘We’ll have to work with this view in mind,’ she told the public servants.
Hasina said she has the belief that the government will be able to resist militancy and terrorism in the country. ‘We’ve already showed the world that we can do many things and Inshallah this time too we’ll be able to do this.’
About the recent terror attacks at Gulshan in Dhaka and Sholakia in Kishoreganj, the prime minister said, ‘This is not the lessons of Islam that one will get ‘Hur-Pori’ by killing human being.’
Mentioning that the government is advancing towards the end of its current tenure, Hasina asked the public servants to be more sincere so that the development programmes that have been taken up by the government could be completed quickly.
‘We’ve been given a five-year tenure… we’ve some thoughts to develop the country, we want to implement those thoughts, we want to advance the country by implementing those thoughts,’ she added.
On skill development of the public servants, the prime minister said the government, apart from providing them training at home, also has taken a step to send them abroad to receive modern training.
‘Providing services to people is your holy responsibility because your salaries and allowances come from the pockets of poor farmers and labourers…all that come from the hard-earned money of these sections of people,’ Hasina said adding, ‘It’s the duty of the public servants to serve people, work for their welfare and development.’
State minister for public administration ministry Ismat Ara Sadeq, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee for public administration ministry HM Ashiqur Rahman, cabinet secretary Shafiul Alam and public administration secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury also spoke at the programme.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net