By Mizan Rahman
Dhaka
Fearing terrorist attacks, the United Nations office in Dhaka has cancelled its programme to mark the UN Day and the UN’s 70th Anniversary in Bangladesh.
UN resident coordinator Robert Watkins has cancelled invitations sent to diplomats and others for the programme at Hotel Amari Dhaka, a UN official said yesterday.
The official indicated that the security situation in Bangladesh is still not conducive to holding a large gathering of Westerners at city hotels following the murders of two foreign nationals.
The UN Day, celebrated annually on October 24, is dedicated to the global efforts and achievements of the UN. It was scheduled to be held on October 25 in Dhaka.
As part of the UN’s 70th anniversary celebration, a range of activities and events were taken up by the UN to mark this special year under the theme “Strong UN. Better World”.
Meanwhile, several countries, including Spain and Japan, cancelled similar programmes to mark the occasion in this month.
The US ambassador and high commissioners of the UK, Canada and Australia, during a meeting with the home minister on Wednesday, expressed their concern about the security of their citizens in Bangladesh.
Diplomatic sources said the envoys at the meeting raised two issues - security of their citizens and progress of investigation into the murders of two foreigners.
The four countries have continued to caution their citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution in
Bangladesh.”
The US embassy, in its updated security message for its citizens in Bangladesh, said: “Security agencies in Bangladesh have taken extraordinary measures to increase security for foreigners in Bangladesh, but the terrorist threat remains real and credible”.
The UK government, in its latest update of travel advisory on Bangladesh, said, “There is a high threat from terrorists. Further attacks targeting Westerners may occur and could be indiscriminate.”
The government of Canada in its updated travel advisory said, “There is no nationwide advisory in effect for Bangladesh. However, you should exercise a high degree of caution.”