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US to help try war criminals Boucher meets Hasina

Staff Correspondent
The US has assured Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of assisting her government in trying the war criminals.
Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard A Boucher gave the assurance at a meeting with Hasina at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) yesterday, PM's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters after the meet.
"The trial of war criminals is not a political issue; it has become the demand of people of the country. Our parliament adopted a resolution unanimously to try war criminals," Azad quoted the prime minister as telling Boucher.
Hasina told the US assistant secretary that she herself and her government would not tolerate corruption at any level and would take appropriate measures to strengthen the A n t i -C o r r u p t i o n Commission to continue the drive against corruption.
“The ACC is not going to weaken, rather it will be made effective and stronger and so will be the judiciary," Azad quoted the PM as saying during the meet.
Hasina urged the US government to continue with its investigation into corruption by some Bangladeshi citizens, including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's younger son Arafat Rahman Koko.
During die one-and-a-half hour long meeting with Boucher who came for a two-day visit in Bangladesh on Saturday, Hasina sought US cooperation in making the country's democracy sustainable and the parliament effective.
“Terrorists have no party, religion or boundary, so we all have to resist them with concerted efforts to establish peace and stability,” Hasina told Boucher.
Seeking US cooperation in curbing terrorism and militancy, the prime minister said coordinated effort is a must to tackle the menace.
Referring to the proposed anti-terror taskforce in the South Asia, Hasina told the US assistant secretary that Bangladesh wants to play a major role in curbing terrorism in South Asian nations.
She said Bangladesh wants mutually beneficial good relations among all the South Asian countries in an environ-
ment of peace, which is impossible without wiping out terrorism.
Hasina pledged to take all-out efforts to curb terrorism. "If terrorism cannot be checked the socio-economic development of the country is impossible,” her press secretary quoted her.
The prime minister thanked the US government for providing training to police, RAB and BDR in wiping out terrorism.
Hasina told the senior US official that her government was determined to safeguard human rights and ensure freedom of media and speech.
She also thanked the US government for expanding GSP facilities and urged it to allow duty and quota-free access of Bangladeshi readymade garments to the US market.
Referring to US president Barack Obama's desire for visiting a Muslim country to earn confidence of the Muslim world, Hasina invited Obama to visit Dhaka first.
Replying to a query, Kalam said there was no discussion on trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA) between the two countries during the meet.
At the beginning of the meeting, Boucher congratulated the premier on her alli-ance's victory in the December 29 parliamentary elections.
The prime minister also welcomed Boucher to Bangladesh and praised the positive role the US, among other friendly countries, played in the Bangladesh's election.