Amid their growing concern over safety and security, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali on Tuesday assured the diplomats stationed in Dhaka of providing ‘full safety and security’ for their missions, residences, schools and cultural centers before and after the 10th national polls billed for January 5. “All-party polls-time government remains uncompromising and pledge-bound as per the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 to ensure full safety and security of the Diplomatic Missions in Bangladesh as well as their residences, schools and cultural centers during the critical period preceding the elections,” he said. The Foreign Minister’s assurance came during two separate briefings for the diplomats held at state guesthouse Padma. The first group in the morning comprised Ambassadors and High Commissioners of US, Canada, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Brazil, Russia, Norway and the UN Resident Coordinator, while the second group comprised Ambassadors and Heads of Mission from the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) member states. PM’s International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi, Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque and Secretary (Bilateral) at the Foreign Ministry Mustafa Kamal were present during the briefings. In the briefings, Mahmood Ali informed the diplomats of the preparations for the upcoming general election as well as the efforts and measures taken by the government to protect the lives of the common people from the sustained terrorist and arson activities of the Jamat-Shibir armed cadres. He reiterated that the polls-time government is determined to thwart any threat to the security and stability of the State and the people of Bangladesh, and attempts to deprive the electorate from exercising their democratic right to vote during the forthcoming 10th Parliamentary elections scheduled for January 5. The Foreign Minister also apprised the Heads of Missions of the enhanced security measures recently undertaken in the designated diplomatic areas in Gulshan and Baridhara. The Heads of Missions expressed satisfaction at the additional security measures already provided by the government to the diplomatic areas in Gulshan and Baridhara in the face of continued blockades, hartals and agitations by the opposition BNP-Jamaat alliance. The OIC Ambassadors assured the Foreign Minister that the Muslim Ummah is with Bangladesh and its people at this critical time leading to the elections and expressed solidarity with all efforts of the government to maintain security and stability of the country including that of the diplomatic and expatriate community. On Monday, the Foreign Minister briefed the diplomats of South and South East Asian countries and reaffirmed the government’s strong resolve to ‘thwart any terror attempts’ against ‘peaceful conduct’ of the forthcoming general election. The briefing for the diplomats came at a time when the United States, the European Union (EU) and the Commonwealth have announced not to send observers for the national election in Bangladesh questioning its credibility. – UNB
