Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

120 militant groups said in Bangladesh

|
|
 
  
Published: April 1, 2009 at 12:34 PM

DHAKA, Bangladesh, April 1 (UPI) -- Bangladeshi Law Minister Shafique Ahmed says more than 120 militant groups are active in the South Asian country.

Speaking Wednesday at a Dhaka workshop on proposed anti-terrorism legislation, Shafique said Islamic militancy has expanded in Bangladesh since the Constitution of 1972 was amended to clear the way for religion-based politics, the Daily Star reported.

Claiming extremism was "now under control" in the country, Shafique said dropping secularism from the Constitution led to the rise of militancy.

Others, however, disagreed, including former caretaker government adviser Moinul Hossain Chowdhury, who reportedly told the gathering, "I think the gap between rich and poor and our education system, unemployment and overall law and order situation were the reasons behind it."

The Star said Shafique ducked a question on whether the government would move to ban religion-based politics.

Recommended Stories
© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
Notable deaths of 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee AmfAR Cinema Against AIDS gala
Indianapolis 500 Presidential Medal of Freedom Memorial Day around the nation
Additional Top News Stories
1 of 27
Snigdha Nandipati of San Diego wins Finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee
View Caption
Snigdha Nandipati of San Diego, California watches confetti rain down as she wins the two-day Scripps National Spelling Bee championship, May 31, 2012, in National Harbor, Maryland. Nandipati successfully spelled the word .* guetapens *, meaning to lure or ambush. UPI/Mike Theiler
fark
New book is full of girls in their bedrooms, will be read by people who need to have a seat right...
★☆☆☆☆ Michigan is an uninhabitable swamp. Do not settle
As part of the Queen's jubilee celebrations, Top Gear presenter James May has built a contraption...
New, comprehensive data on all the reasons why people break-up. Bad news for Farkers: drinking too...
There is finally a car that's more dangerous to rear-end than a Ford Pinto
Here is the full list of 2012 hurricane names. Wait... Hurricane Kirk?