Nation worried for ‘pressure to admit IS presence’: BNP

BNP today said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's remarks regarding international pressure to admit the presence of Islamic State (IS) has worried the nation.

"The comments of the Prime Minister regarding the tremendous international pressure on her administration to admit the presence of IS in the country has made the whole nation worried," said BNP spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon.

Ripon made the remark at a press conference at the party headquarters in Nayapaltan hours after the prime minister conveyed her views about the IS.

"There's a tremendous international pressure on Bangladesh after some recent incidents to make us admit that there is a presence of IS here [Bangladesh]," Hasina said at a press conference at her official residence Gono Bhaban.

Ripon urged the government to immediately build national unity to resist any militant activities inside the country. 

He also criticised the prime minister for rejecting BNP chief Khaleda Zia's offer for holding a national dialogue.

"Offering the government to hold a dialogue is not a sign of weakness of BNP. The government is lucky that BNP has offered for the dialogue even after the government carried out oppression on the party men," Ripon said.