Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has noted with regret that despite assurance from India's highest political level of putting an end to the killing at border, stray incidents of killing and torture of Bangladeshi nationals by the Indian BSF continued.
She expressed her annoyance while talking to US Assistant Secretary of State Robert O Blake, who asked Hasina whether the recent killings by BSF deteriorated Bangladesh-India relations.
The US envoy was talking to the premier at her Sangsad Bhaban office in the capital yesterday evening.
“We are trying to stop such incidents, we are repeatedly requesting them to keep their words that were given by their highest level at different times,” Hasina told Blake.
About the issue of terrorism and counter-terrorism, the premier informed the US envoy that Bangladesh soil will not be allowed to be used for any terrorist and extremist activities.
She mentioned various laws adopted by parliament to combat terrorism. “We are showing zero tolerance to terrorism and extremism.”
Hasina also mentioned that in the last three years no bombing incident had occurred in the country, which was normal during the BNP-Jamaat regime.
She said there is no boundary for terrorists. “If it is nurtured in one corner of the world, this will be a big problem for the rest of the world.”
As Blake requested Hasina to send a letter to the US government to deploy US Peace Core in Bangladesh, the premier declined.
She said the US Peace Core came to Bangladesh during the previous tenure of Awami League government in 1998. But, the US government withdrew them during the BNP-Jamaat regime on security reason.
Regarding regional connectivity, Hasina said Bangladesh already had taken steps to establish a regional connectivity with India, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal.
“India gave green signal to set up communication link among Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan over India,” she said.
The premier requested Blake to extend his cooperation to allow duty free and quota free access of Bangladeshi apparels to the US market.
She mentioned that there are four million people employed in the RMG sector, and more than 50 percent of them are women.
Hasina said the duty free and quota free access of Bangladeshi apparels to the US market will help the RMG sector a lot. Moreover, the women workers will be directly benefited by this.
When Blake asked the premier about Bangladesh's plan to set up an embassy in Afghanistan, she said that in principle Bangladesh has agreed to set up an embassy there.
M Nazrul Islam, deputy press secretary to the premier, briefed reporters after the meeting.
Ambassador-at-Large M Ziauddin and US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan Mozena were present.
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