Staff Reporter :US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday said the attack on July 1 was “clearly designed” to divide Bangladesh and it was an attack on rich Bangladesh culture. “We’ll do all we can to help Bangladesh, ” he said adding, “We know we’re living in a very different and complicated time,” he said while addressing civil society representatives, media, labour leaders and youngsters at EMK Center in the city’s Dhanmondi area.He said security and stronger civil society are essentials to ensure the continuation of development. John Kerry said his country will extend all-out support to Bangladesh in fighting terrors and underscored the need for information sharing, constant communication and good governance to defeat terrorism for shared benefits. “We’ve to stand together,” Kerry said.He also mentioned that the US is standing with Bangladesh in its fight against terrorism and prevent violent extremism.He laid emphasis on fighting terrorism from a number of fronts that include financing front, communication front, prevention front. “No nation can succeed without information sharing and communication.” “Bangladesh has an extraordinary development story. Though the attackers in Bangladesh are homegrown but they have connection with global terror groups,” John Kerry said.The US Secretary of State arrived capital Dhaka Monday morning on a nine-hour visit packed with a series of meetings to discuss bilateral and global issues that both sides expect to take the relations to ‘new heights’.Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali received Kerry at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on his arrival at 9:45am from Geneva by a special aircraft. Kerry began his day visiting Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the city at about 11:30am.
