Dhaka warns 13 foreign missions to refrain from such undiplomatic attitude

The government has expressed discontent for issuing joint statement by 13 foreign missions denouncing the attack on independent candidate Ashraful Alam alias Hero Alam during the Dhaka-17 by-election.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said this in a press briefing at Foreign Service Academy in the capital at 4pm after the meeting with the ambassadors on Wednesday.

The government has asked the ambassadors to refrain from "showing an undiplomatic attitude" after informing that the publishing of such a statement would be against the Vienna Convention and the diplomatic code of conduct.

Shahriar Alam said, “It has also warned that bypassing the government and bereft of objectivity, neutrality and impartiality will only create a crisis of mutual trust.”

On Tuesday, the ministry of foreign affairs summoned the heads of 13 foreign missions stationed in Dhaka to inform them the dissatisfaction of the government over the statement on attack on Hero Alam.

The 13 missions include the United States, the UK, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the European Union.

However, no Italian diplomat was present at Wednesday’s briefing.

In a joint statement issued by the US embassy in Dhaka on July 19, the embassies urged the government to conduct a comprehensive investigation and take legal action against the attackers of Alam.

On July 17, Hero Alam came under attack by a group of people in front of Banani Vidyaniketan school centre during the by-election in Dhaka-17 constituency.

Hero Alam's personal assistant Sujan Rahman Shovo filed a case with the capital's Banani Police Station over the incident. Some 15-20 unidentified people were made accused in the case.

/MHK/