New Delhi, May 20 (ANI): Bangladesh has approved tough new laws to battle terrorism of the Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami (HuJI).
The new law was approved by the council of advisors on Sunday, which seeks tough measures against Bangladeshis found to be indulging in either terror activities or financing terror or even campaigning for extremist groups.
However, from the Indian point of view, this scarcely helps, because Bangladesh is yet to address India's concerns on militants. India has repeatedly asked Bangladesh to send back ULFA militants holed up in the country, but to no avail.
India however hopes that these actions would make it easier for Bangladesh to take some of the more unpopular steps on terror, particularly if it has to do with India's concerns.
Under the new laws, anyone found involved in terrorist activities could be awarded punishment from 20 years in jail up to a death sentence.
Sponsors of terrorism face a maximum of 20 years in jail, while anyone found guilty of providing shelter or protection to a terrorist would get at least five years in prison.
Anyone caught campaigning for any banned group faces seven years in jail under the new laws.
An anti-terror law in Bangladesh is not new. After the series of attacks by Islamic terror groups in recent years -- including 400 blasts on just one day in August 2005, the previous government had drafted a similar law in 2006, but could not implement it.
Pakistan offers to share nuke technology with Bangladesh
Dhaka, May 20 (ANI): Pakistan has offered to help Bangladesh with the latter's proposed first nuclear power reactor.
Pakistan's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Alamgir Babar has said that Islamabad is ready to share nuclear technology with Dhaka for civilian purposes to help tackle that country's massive energy crisis.
The Daily Star quoted Babar as saying that Pakistan's offer was "on the table" and it was for Bangladesh to decide whether the country wanted to discuss it.
"We have a programme for nuclear energy. We are going ahead with that. It is up to Bangladesh to decide what they want," Babar told reporters.
He said discussions over the matter could take place within the parameters of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) even though Pakistan is not a part of it. Bangladesh is a signatory to NPT.
Pakistan is the latest to make such an offer that would be viewed with interest by the strategic community.
The caretaker Bangladesh Government's Foreign Adviser Iftekhar A Chowdhury has already discussed nuclear energy cooperation with Russia and China after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently cleared Bangladesh to use nuclear power for civilian use.
Russians showed willingness to help during Chowdhury's Moscow visit last month.
Bangladesh has revived the idea of the project it in the last two years since India and the US got into discussions over a nuclear deal, realising the need for meeting its growing energy needs. (ANI)
