Ruling out Sri Lanka-style terror threats in Bangladesh, the country’s most senior counter terror officer said that the Easter Day bombings may encourage local groups but they are not capable any more of launching large-scale attacks.
Attacks in churches and hotels targeting Christians and foreigners on Sunday have more than 300 killed and several hundreds more injured. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks but did not offer any evidence.
“I don’t think they (local terror outfits) are not capable of carrying out such big attacks,” said Additional Commissioner Monirul Islam, who heads the Counter Terror and Transnational Crime unit of the Dhaka metro police, on Tuesday (Apr 23).
His remarks came while addressing an event of the Crime Reporters’ Association of Bangladesh.
Dhaka has successfully curbed terrorism following the Holey Artisan attack, the deadliest in the country’s history, Islam said before adding “But we haven’t been able to root them (terrorists) out,” he said.
Twenty-two people, mostly foreigners, were killed by attackers at the upscale eatery at Dhaka’s diplomatic enclave of Gulshan on the night of Jul 1, 2016.
Monirul said the government has undertaken many anti-militancy programmes. “The continuation of drives will prevent militants from carrying out any attack,” he said.
At the CRAB’s ‘Meet the Press’ event, the top counter-terror officer was asked whether they he had an exact figure of Bangladeshis who had joined Islamic State (IS) and what would happen if they came back home.
“Young people began going out to join IS in late 2014,” Islam said adding they suspect some were detained or arrested, some were killed and some of them were identified before confirming having no accurate numbers of Bangladeshi IS fighters.
“If they want to return home now, they have no other option other than by travelling air which will require. Those who left in 2014 no longer have valid passports. If anybody wants to return, they will have to apply for a travel pass,” Monirul explained.
“When we receive an application for a travel pass, it is given a very serious scrutiny,” he added.
“So, they cannot come in to the country without us knowing. Even if anyone wants to return, they will face legal action,” the official said.
Asked on IS’s claims of appointing a chief in Bangladesh, the Islam said police had not found any evidence supporting it. “They may have appointed a Bangladeshi abroad.”
The issue of Bangladeshi IS fighters in Syria and Iraq came to light following the 2016 Gulshan attack after video messages purportedly by fighters hailing the attack started to emerge.
At least 50 young men and a few women and children were reported missing after that.