Bangladesh assures stringent security for foreign missions, nationals
By Sheuli Akter
DHAKA, Dec. 23 (NsNewsWire) — The Bangladeshi government has assured its regional neighbors of stringent security for their diplomatic missions as well as nationals in the country, official sources said Monday.
They said the assurance was given in a briefing Monday afternoon to the ambassadors and heads of missions in Bangladesh from South and South East Asian countries.
“The Election-time government would leave no stone unturned to heighten and ensure full safety and security of the Diplomatic Missions in Bangladesh as well as foreign nationals including students and expatriate workers from their countries living in Bangladesh during these critical period preceding the elections,” a highly placed source quoted Foreign Minister AH Mahmud Ali as saying in the briefing.
“The All-Party Election-Time Government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is providing all out support to the Election Commission towards creating a conducive environment for holding the 10th Parliamentary elections scheduled for January 2014, in a free, fair, credible and peaceful manner,” a Foreign Ministry official who preferred to be unnamed also quoted him as saying during the briefing.
He said Ali briefed the envoys about the various security measures undertaken by the election-time government under close directives of the Election Commission to “prevent BNP-Jammat (two major opposition parties) terrorist attacks on the lives and property of the common people specially the minorities, as well on State institutions. ”
Ali reaffirmed the government’s strong resolve to thwart any attempts of terrosim by the enemy of the state in the name of blockades and strikes against peaceful conduct of the forth coming general elections and the War Crimes Tribunals, challenging the very statehood of Bangladesh and crippling the country’s economy and communication system, he added.
According to the another official source, envoys who attended the briefing thanked Hasina’s election-time government and expressed their satisfactions for the additional security measures provided for the diplomatic areas — Gulshan and Baridhara.
Sources said that the envoys also assured that with the high level of support and protection provided by the government they feel safer and secure in moving around Dhaka even during these days of blockades and strikes.