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3rd Ld-Writethru: Bangladeshi PM Strongly Condemns Bomb Attacks

Posted on: Thursday, 18 August 2005, 09:00 CDT

3rd Ld-Writethru: Bangladeshi PM strongly condemns bomb attacks

DHAKA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia, who is now in Beijing on an official visit, Wednesday strongly condemned the bomb attacks in the country, including the capital city Dhaka.

In a message sent from Beijing, Khaleda Zia described the incident as "heinous, cowardly, conspiratorial and well planned acts of terrorism," the official news agency of Bangladesh BSS reported Wednesday.

An unprecedented string of nearly simultaneous blasts Wednesday rocked 63 of the country's 64 district towns and cities, including capital Dhaka, prompting a countrywide security alert against any organized terrorist campaign.

Police and witnesses said several hundred time-device- controlled bombs were exploded in between 11:00 and 11:30 in the morning across the country injuring more then 150 people and killing at least two - - one young boy in suburb of the capital and a rickshaw puller in western Rajshahi.

Khaleda Zia left Dhaka Wednesday morning on a five-day official visit to China at the invitation of her Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao.

Khaleda Zia is paying the visit to China in the backdrop of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and China, marked by steady and smooth development of excellent bilateral ties.

The Bangladeshi prime minister expressed her deep condolence for those killed in the bomb attacks and sincere sympathy for those who were injured.

She urged her people, irrespective of political affiliations, to remain on guard and resist such heinous acts.

As soon as she learnt about the incidents of bomb blasts on reaching Beijing, Khaleda Zia sent directives to Dhaka to identify those involved in the bomb attacks, the conspirators behind the scene and for their arrests.

Different political parties protested the bomb attacks in the capital as well as other major cities of the country.

The protesters took to the streets and held rallies condemning the blasts. They termed the bombings as "heinous attacks on the innocent people and the country".

They urged the government to arrest the persons behind the blasts and give exemplary punishment to them for the sake of peace, progress, stability, and continuation of democracy.

Jatiya Party (National Party) Chairman and former president Hussain Mohammad Ershad expressed deep concern over the bomb blasts and protested against such heinous attacks.

He said the bomb explosions are part of an anti-Bangladesh conspiracy. Such attacks were plotted to brand the country as a " failed, terrorist and ineffective state," he added.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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