Containing Militancy: Govt moves to form regional taskforce

The government has made a fresh move to form South Asian Taskforce to contain militancy and extremism.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam told The Daily Star last night, "We have already discussed regional cooperation on this issue [the taskforce] in various platforms. If Saarc summit takes place, we might come up with the announcement of forming South Asian Taskforce."

Recently, at an international conference, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the Bimstec leaders to find the mentors, masterminds, abettors, financiers, arms suppliers and trainers of militants and extremists. She also said they must be prepared to take strong actions against militants and their supporters.

The state minister said, "It is the job of a political party to implement its agendas and we are no exceptional. As this provision is included in the party declaration, we will certainly implement it and we have already started working on it. The time demands this sort of platform."

The AL is going to make its declarations during the upcoming council incorporating the formation of the regional platform. The party in its declarations would vow to curb militancy and have “zero tolerance” for extremism and stress the need for strengthening regional cooperation among South Asian countries.

Many militants cross borders to carryout their activities. Just a few days after host Pakistan postponed the 19th Saarc Summit, Nepal urged Saarc member states to ensure that their territories were not being used by militants for cross-border criminal activities.

In November of 2010 when then Indian external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee visited Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had proposed the formation of a South Asian taskforce to combat militancy.

The AL declaration would also stress special action for trying militancy, killings, terrorism and anti-constitutional activities. It would propose taking steps to decentralise power and administration reforms.

The 67- year-old party aims to turn Bangladesh into a middle income country by 2021 and equivalent to a developed country by 2041, the sources said.

The declaration would also propose incorporating Liberation War history in the curriculum of educational institutions, especially madrasa, where it is now absent.

CHANGES TO AL CHARTER

According to the proposed amendments to the party constitution, the number of leaders in the party's most powerful body, the National Executive Committee, would be increased to 180 from 170 while AL's central working committee, the highest decision-making body, would have 81 post rather than 73.

The National Executive Committee will have yearly meetings. The current constitution mentions two meetings a year.

In the ALCWC, creation of four more new presidium member posts, one joint secretary post, one organising secretary and two member posts have been proposed.

Formation of a 19-member "Local Government Representative Nomination Board" led by the party president has also been suggested since parties can now take part in local government elections.

A proposal has been made for a provision to expel a party member if he or she runs against the AL nominated candidate in any race or opposes the nominee's candidature.

ALERTS

Sources said General Secretary Ashraful would call on the party rank and file to be alert about evil forces, criminals, addicts, dishonest and controversial people infiltrating into the Awami League.

He would also remind them not to harm the party's image and avoid intra-party conflict.

Ashraf would also call on his colleagues to take up anti-militancy publicity programmes at the grassroots.