BANGLA-LD KERRY 2

Kerry said he has had "important discussions on security Kerry said he has had "important discussions on securityissues" in Dhaka during his maiden day-long tour. "Important discussions today in Bangladesh including onsecurity issues & our strong support in fighting againstviolent extremism," he tweeted after his meeting with Hasinaand Ali. Kerry, who later in the day heads to New Delhi, describedthe visit as "significantly important". Ali said discussions with Kerry were "open" and"fruitful", encompassing issues of bilateral ties andcooperation in areas including militancy and trade. "We had a very open discussion on issues of Bangladesh-USrelations… it was a fruitful discussion," he said during thebriefing along with the Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, HomeMinister Asaduzzaman Khan and State Minister for ForeignAffairs Shahriar Alam after holding talks with Kerry. Issues of cooperation in combating terrorism andmilitancy largely dominated the talks, Ali said but declinedto elaborate immediately. "These are issues to be disclosed gradually," he said. According to Karim, Kerry said the US would work togetherwith Bangladesh to fight terrorism and reiterated its offer toprovide experts to this end. "We would fight with Bangladesh to combat terrorism… wehave enough experts in this regard and we could helpBangladesh by giving these experts," he quoted Kerry astelling the Bangladeshi premier at her office. Karim said the one-hour meeting was held in a verycordial and warm atmosphere where the entire gamut ofbilateral relations was reviewed. The high-profile visit comes as Bangladesh reels from awave of murders of secular, liberal activists and religiousminorities. Victims of the attacks by suspected Islamists haveincluded secular bloggers, gay rights activists and followersof minority religions including Hindus, Christians and MuslimSufis and Shiites. Last month, a Bangladeshi cafe located in the diplomaticarea was stormed by terrorists, who killed 22 people includingan Indian girl. The gruesome attack has prompted foreigners,including potential investors, to leave Bangladesh – sparkingworries for its garment industry, the world’s second largestafter China. According to analysts, Kerry’s visit takes place amid theperception that the US is not happy with the incumbentgovernment following the last parliamentary elections thatWashington did not find "credible" as BNP-led oppositionboycotted the vote. While talking about the ongoing anti-ISIS drive in theMiddle East, he said the outfit has been cornered in theregion due to the operation and many terrorists are nowreturning home in the face of the attack. Earlier after arrival, Kerry paid his rich tributes tothe memory of Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation BangabandhuSheikh Mujibur Rahman visiting Bangabandhu Museum as his firstengagement in Dhaka. PTI AR SAI AKJSAI