Bangladesh: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2002

According to media reports, the opposition Awami League (AL) alleged during a meeting with visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair, that two Cabinet Ministers have links with the Taliban. A four-member delegation of AL led by its acting president Abdus Samad Azad that met Blair on January 3 also extended support to the anti-terrorism campaign by the British leader. The delegation discussed issues of internal, regional and international terrorism during the half-an-hour meeting. It stressed that the fight against terrorism should be intensified in every country for the sake of peace, stability and democracy. Read less...

Awami League President and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has again accused the Bangladesh National Party (BNP)-led government of links with the Taliban and asked expatriate Bangladeshis to build resistance against them at all levels. Speaking at a public meeting at the York Hall in East London on January 5, she said, "The alliance government has links with Taliban government. They are raising slogans: We are Taliban, Bangladesh will be Afghanistan." She called for building resistance against the ‘Taliban supported government". Read less...

Two children were injured seriously in a bomb explosion on the rooftop of a two-storied building behind Sardar hospital, Barisal on January 5. The bomb went off when the two children were playing on the roof. Read less...

According to Bangladeshi media reports an activist of the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) was arrested in Nasirabad area, Chittagong, on January 6 night in connection with an arms snatching case. Read less...

According to official sources, police recovered 25 illegal firearms during a countrywide combing operation on January 6. Police also arrested nine persons in this connection and cases were filed against them under the Arms Act. Read less...

The Bangladesh Cabinet, on January 6, gave its approval in principle for repealing the Public Safety (Special Provision) Act 2000. Reports said the approval was given at a regular meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. Read less...

According to media reports, the police unearthed a mini arms factory and recovered arms and ammunition in Nidania village of Ukhia upazila on January 28. One person was arrested in this connection. Read less...

Leaders of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Parishad at a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar, Dhaka on January 30, called upon the religious minorities to unite against persecution and attacks unleashed allegedly by the Bangladesh National Party (BNP)-led four-party alliance. None can compel them to leave the country under any threat and persecution, they said. Addressing the rally, journalist and human rights activist Shahriar Kabir said the persecution on the religious minorities has started since the caretaker government's take-over after the October 1, 2001 election, and many Hindus left the country in the wake of repression. Hindus had a great contribution to and were the worst sufferers during the liberation war, but ironically they are now being treated as the second class citizens, he said. Read less...

Bangladesh police arrested four activists of the proscribed Biplobi Communist Party (BCP) along with firearms and ammunition from Kumerkhali and Khoksha, upzila, Kushtia on January 31. Read less...