The three Bangladeshis sent back from Malaysia are not militants. That was the firm message on Sunday from Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
He told reporters their deportation was purely over visa problems and had no connection to extremism. He made the comments to the press at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
“They’re not militants. Their visas had simply expired,” Chowdhury said.
No Militant Activity Detected in Recent Months
Responding to reports in international media, the adviser stressed that the individuals had no connections to militant groups.
“There are no militants in Bangladesh. And those sent back from Malaysia have no links to militancy either,” he added.
When asked about comments made by Malaysian police, he said he was unaware of any official statement describing the returnees as militants.
“We have not received any official communication from Malaysia in this regard. But our Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already issued a statement.”
Chowdhury also noted that Bangladesh has seen no reports of militant activity over the past ten months.
“This is the result of a collective national effort,” he said, crediting ongoing initiatives to eradicate militancy.
Airport Export Disruptions Attributed to Procedural Issues
Shifting focus to logistics, Chowdhury acknowledged recent disruptions in export operations at the airport.
He attributed these issues to procedural complications involving the National Board of Revenue.
Exporters of agricultural goods were most affected by the delays, he said.
“We’re taking this seriously. The new terminal will include cold storage facilities specifically for agricultural exports,” Chowdhury confirmed.
Push for Export Diversification and Cold Storage Access
He emphasized the need to support the country’s agro-export sector more effectively.
One big focus now is improving cold storage before goods are shipped, especially when it comes to sensitive items like vegetables.
“We must expand our pre-loading cold storage services. And we need to diversify export commodities, instead of relying on just one product category,” Chowdhury added.
The adviser’s comments come amid rising public interest in both security and trade facilitation. His remarks sought to calm concerns about internal threats while outlining steps to strengthen Bangladesh’s export infrastructure.
