The Awami League-led government in Bangladesh has strongly condemned a Pakistani probe agency's claim of links between a terror outfit in Bangladesh and the terrorists involved in the Mumbai carnage.
Bangladesh Home Minister Sahara Khatun slammed Pakistan investigation agency's claim that outfits from the country could be involved in the terror attack in the Indian financial capital last year.
"Militants and terrorists do not belong to any territory, country and nation. I am shocked at such claim," Sahara was quoted as saying by The Daly Star newspaper on Saturday.
Pakistani daily Dawn, earlier this week, reported Pakistani sleuths were 'closing in on a Bangladeshi connection' to the attacks and had 'evidence of not only the involvement of a banned militant organisation, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami of Bangladesh, but also of its role in planning the attack and training the terrorists'.
At least 180 people were killed in the terror attacks on the Indian financial capital on November 26.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the findings of the probe in his country would be made public early next week.
The Bangladesh Home Minister underlined her government's determination to crush terrorism in the country and proposed a 'South Asian Anti-Terrorism Taskforce' to deal with the menace in line with the Awami League's election manifesto. Sahara said her ministry is taking necessary steps in this regard.
Counter-terrorism is expected to top the agenda during the planed visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on February 9.
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