Local, international conspiracy behind militancy: Home minister

The home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, has ascribed the rise of militancy in Bangladesh to a conspiracy of local and international quarters.

“There is a conspiracy [behind the rise of militancy]. There is a conspiracy of local and international quarters,” said the minister while addressing a roundtable discussion on the rise of militancy in the capital on Wednesday.

Daily Prothom Alo organised the roundtable at its office in the city’s Karwan Bazar with the participation of security experts and representatives from different quarters including youth.

The minister appreciated the analyses of the experts who spoke before him on the occasion, but asked them to keep the “fact that there is local and international conspiracy behind the militancy” in view while analysing issues of militancy.    

In response to different proposals made by the experts at the programme, the minister said the government has both short and long term plans to combat militancy.

“Look, the police are changing. We can’t change everything overnight. We don’t have a magic wand to change things overnight,” said the minister in reference to the discussants’ call to first ensure rule of law to prevent youth being misguided towards militancy.