The US has reiterated security concerns for its ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas, with the Bangladesh mission in Washington DC.
"We have raised this matter at the highest levels of the Bangladeshi government, as well as with the Bangladesh embassy in Washington, DC," said a US embassy spokesperson in Dhaka yesterday.
On December 15, Muhammad Imran, Bangladesh's ambassador to the US, was called to the State Department by Donald Lu, the US assistant secretary of state for the bureau of south and central Asian affairs.
The previous day, Haas had called in at the Shaheenbagh home of missing BNP leader Sajedul Islam Sumon to meet with the families of victims of enforced disappearance.
Haas hurriedly concluded his meeting following security concerns triggered by the gathering of some ruling party supporters surrounding his meeting place.
The meeting was interrupted by protestors, who attempted to enter the building where Haas was located. Due to security concerns, Haas ended the meeting earlier than scheduled. As he was exiting the venue, the other protestors surrounded the ambassador's vehicle.
Haas immediately called on Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at the foreign ministry to share his concerns over the incident.
Also yesterday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said there had been no lack of security when Haas went to Shaheenbagh.
Meanwhile, the US embassy spokesperson yesterday said the embassy had not received any prior communication from Mayer Kanna over the last several years.
"Human rights are at the centre of US foreign policy. Therefore, the US embassy takes seriously all allegations of human rights violations and regularly meets with a wide variety of human rights organisations," the spokesperson added.
