Sincerity needed to fight terror, says Mukherjee

Author: 
Agencies
Publication Date: 
Tue, 2009-02-10 03:00

DHAKA: India and Bangladesh discussed yesterday setting up an anti-terrorism task force, but Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said for such a mechanism to work participants must be sincere and committed.

A South Asia task force against terrorism was an idea mooted by Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina Wajed following attacks in Mumbai late last year in which nearly 200 people were killed.

India says the attackers were Pakistani and Pakistan state actors were involved, and has accused Islamabad of dragging its feet in moving against those responsible.

Without referring to a specific country, Mukherjee told a news conference here he felt sincerity was critical in fighting terrorism. “Due to lack of sincerity, inability and unwillingness to fight terrorism, a global issue, the architectures do not work,” he said. He arrived in Dhaka earlier yesterday on a day’s visit.

“I discussed the viability of the proposed task force with Prime Minister Hasina and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, besides signing two agreements on bilateral trade and investment promotion and protection,” Mukherjee said.

Moni said Dhaka would shortly discuss the task force proposal with other regional countries to try to agree on details.

Bangladesh has been hit by attacks from outlawed Muslim groups, which killed some 30 people in a series of bombings in late 2005 and want majority-Muslim Bangladesh to base its government on Shariah law.

Hasina, who herself survived a grenade attack by extremists in 2004, proposed the task force before the Dec. 29 election that swept her Awami League to power for a 5-year term. Mukherjee and the Bangladesh leaders discussed an “entire range” of common issues, including trade, transit, water sharing, maritime boundary and terrorism, officials said.

Meanwhile, the United States would support the Bangladeshi proposal to create a South Asian regional task force, a top US diplomat said Sunday.

Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said the countries of South Asia need to cooperate more in combating terror in the wake of the “horrible” terrorist attacks in Mumbai last November.

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