Dhaka-Outraged by the terrorist attack, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said they intend to continue to take all possible preparations to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens both at home and abroad. “This matter truly grieves me deeply and I am rendered speechless to think of the regrets of the victims. This was an impermissible act of terrorism and I am profoundly outraged,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
Abe said they will prepare a governmental aircraft to assist the families of the victims in arriving at the scene of the incident as quickly as possible. “Just now, I was in contact with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Seiji Kihara, who has arrived in Bangladesh,” said the Japanese Prime Minister.
He instructed Kihara to receive the bereaved family members and interact with the Bangladesh side in accordance with the requests of the families to the greatest possible extent.
“At any rate, although I fall entirely speechless when I think of how the bereaved family members must be feeling, I wish to respond to this incident in the spirit of doing everything possible while keeping the sensitivities of the family members firmly in mind,” Abe said.
The Japanese Prime Minister mentioned that they intend will devote our utmost efforts to shed light on this incident.
“As such, I also intend for us to act in close coordination and communication with the Government of Bangladesh,” he said.
Also at the UN, a press statement by the United Nations Security Council was released. In this regard, he said, “We intend to work in cooperation with the international community in order to root out terrorism.”
Last night, the deaths of seven Japanese nationals were confirmed. “This is a truly regrettable outcome,” Abe said.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives and also extend his condolences to the families of the victims.
“All of those who lost their lives had gone to Bangladesh in the spirit of wanting to work for the good of that country,” he mentioned.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to pay homage to the victims of Gulshan terror attack at Banani Army Stadium in the capital on Monday.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay tributes to the victims of Gulshan attack by placing wreaths on their coffins at the Army Stadium at 10 am,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told UNB on Sunday.
He said the bodies of the victims killed in the barbaric attack by armed terrorists on a Spanish restaurant in Gulshan on Friday night would be kept at the Army Stadium from 10 am to 12 noon to enable people of all strata to pay homage to them.
Twenty hostages — nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian, one Bangladeshi American and two Bangladeshis — were killed in the terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan on Friday night.
Besides, two senior police officers — Banani Police Station officer-in-charge Salauddin Ahmed Khan and Detective Branch assistant commissioner Robiul Islam — were killed as they tried to rescue the hostages.
OC Salauddin was laid to rest at Banani Graveyard in Dhaka, while AC Robiul at her village home in Manikganj.
