‘Be aware of people around you’

Killing people cannot be acceptable by any means, the speakers said. The event was held at Mirpur Bangla College premises by the Jongi and Santrasbad Birodhi Oikka Committee (Citizens United Committee Against Terrorism and Militancy) yesterday afternoon. Saiful Islam Rafique, the principal of Mohammabad Islamia Alia Madrassa, said militants were luring young people with false promises but the truth was that Islam asks to protect foreigners in one’s land. Prof Golam Wadud of Bangla College said those who were involved in militancy were deviants from the society. Local Awami League leader Bajlur Rahman said it was difficult for law enforcers to look for criminals because their posting keeps changing frequently. “It is the local people who have been living in the area for a long time that can identify outsiders,” he said. He called on the public to keep watch on their neighbours and inform the police if suspicious. DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said police would uproot militancy from the country and for this purpose the force was being upgraded to meet current threats. “The nation that can shed blood for its mother tongue can never allow terrorist activities to go on. Police will ensure that every criminal will face justice. Nobody will be spared.” The officer urged teachers to be careful in their institutions against people trying to radicalise students. Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque said law enforcers had uncovered the criminals behind most of the killing and attack cases and charges had been brought against many of them. He said 57 militants had been already sentenced to death. Both the IGP and the DMP Commissioner urged people to assist the police to identify those who seem to have moved into any locality with bad intentions. The IGP criticised people who had questioned the police’s role in the Kallyanpur drive, saying the militants did not want to be arrested by the law enforcers. “They wanted to go paradise and get Hoors,” he said. “We went in four-and-a-half hours after we found them. All that time they were slandering us and shooting at us,” he said, referring to the Kalyanpur drive where nine militants were killed.