Secular state must give space for free expression

A secular state must give opportunity for free thinking and free expressions, UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC) in Dhaka Robert D Watkins said yesterday, citing the recent murder of four liberal bloggers in the country.

He also said Bangladesh was blessed not to have the problem of terrorism yet but warned that criminality and terrorism often went hand in hand.

He made the remarks while addressing the inaugural session of a workshop on "Designation and Asset Freezing under United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) 1,267 and 1,373".

The resolutions deal with sanctions related to terrorism.

About the debates on how free people should express their views, the UN official said it might vary from person to person, "but people should have their rights to express". "If any person breaks the law of the land, that's another issue. But killing is unacceptable," he reiterated at the workshop, at the foreign ministry.

Senior government officials, representatives from the private sector, financial institutions and others concerned are participating in the two-day workshop.

Speaking as chief guest, Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque said the workshop was aimed at making people more aware of global terrorist threats and tools available to counter those.

He said Bangladesh was affected in certain issues due to the current global phenomena of the rise of violent extremism and terrorism.

On terror financing, Haque said the government had not only passed necessary laws to combat the issue and was also strictly enforcing the laws.

He said resources were flowing in the name of development, NGO, and welfare works but the government had addressed the issue to stop financing of crimes.

The resolution 1267 was adopted in 1999 to impose sanctions against the Taliban, while the 1373 resolution, adopted following the al-Qaeda "threats", targets international terrorism in general, and goes beyond 1267.

The UN members are bound to criminalise terror financing and freeze funds and other financial assets to stop terrorist acts under the 1373 resolution.

A member state can bring its private sector to account against terror financing under this resolution.