Bangladesh’s sovereignty is not under any threat: Home adviser
Responding to questions the home adviser said, "Peacekeeping forces should be sent to India, not to Bangladesh"
Bangladesh's sovereignty is under no form of threat, said home adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
He made the statement today (5 December) while speaking to journalists after inaugurating an event organised by the Fire Service and Civil Defence at the Purbachal Fire Service and Civil Defence Multipurpose Training Ground in Dhaka, marking International Volunteer Day 2024.
Responding to a question about border tensions, the adviser said, "There is no tension at the borders. The situation remains normal, as it usually is. However, Indian media is spreading misinformation about Bangladesh."
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He urged Bangladeshi media to counter these false narratives by reporting the truth.
"The Indian media is an example of how naked and false information one country can spread about another. All of us in this country must unite in protesting against it," he said.
"There is no cause for alarming worries over India. What they are doing should be countered by truth-telling. When the truth comes out, it will leave them scratching their heads," he added.
Asked about calls from political parties for national unity, the adviser said, "When we all come together, it will surely have a positive impact. It will enable us to work together and protest together, which is a very good thing."
On recent remarks by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about Bangladesh, the adviser said, "She might have mistakenly mentioned Bangladesh. In my view, the United Nations peacekeeping forces should be deployed in her state. We have all seen how minorities, especially Muslims, are being persecuted there."
At the inauguration, the adviser highlighted the efforts of the Fire Service and Civil Defence to train 62,000 volunteers nationwide.
"So far, more than 55,000 volunteers have been trained. Managing disasters like floods and earthquakes is difficult for fire service members alone. The role of trained volunteers is crucial in such situations," he said.
"Volunteers, with adequate preparation and training, are essential at all levels to manage such crises," he noted.
General Jahangir Alam commended the contributions of trained volunteers, saying, "They have emerged as friends of the public through selfless service. From the Rana Plaza collapse in Savar to the BM Container Depot fire in Chattogram, volunteers have worked shoulder to shoulder with firefighters in fire suppression and rescue efforts."
