Dealing with terrorism requires special legislation: Lt Gen Masud
Bss, Dhaka
Dealing with terrorism requires special legislation beyond criminal law to provide the military and security forces with necessary legal authority and investigation tools to ensure the prosecution of suspected terrorists.This was stated by Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division Lt General Masud Uddin Chowdhury while inaugurating a week-long seminar titled 'Developing rules of engagement and combating terrorism' organised jointly by Bangladesh Army and US Department of Defence at Dhaka Cantonment yesterday. The seminar was organised with the help of the Defence Institute for Legal Studies (DIILS) and under the supervision of Army Signal Brigade, said an ISPR press release. Lt Gen Masud said such legislation must be in conformity with international, humanitarian and human rights laws. "We must remember that good governance and respect for human rights are key to combating terrorism effectively, " he pointed out. Mentioning that terrorism transcends national boundaries and has become an issue of serious concern in the international community, the PSO said combating terrorism is a complicated matter calling for the cooperative efforts of agencies within a country and the international community. "Counter-terrorism operations may assign such roles to military forces or law enforcement agencies for which they have not been properly trained and equipped," he said, adding, "Political pressure and provocations from the extremists can create difficult operating conditions." In combating terrorism, the media should be regarded as a friend, he continued, they can provide accurate and objective information to the public and the quality of reporting would certainly be improved for combating terrorism. Lt Gen Masud thanked the US government, Defence Wing of US Embassy in Dhaka and the DIILS for their endeavour in sharing expertise and enriching the knowledge of Bangladesh Army on such important issues. Representative of US embassy in Dhaka Colonel John Atkinson and high officials of Bangladesh army and government were present at the inaugural session. A total of 60 officials including 10 from abroad and representatives from defence ministry, Bangladesh Army and different local and international law enforcement agencies are taking part in the seminar which will end on August 16.
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