US to help probe recent killings

The United States yesterday reiterated its offer to support Bangladesh in helping investigate the recent killings, particularly foreigners, through sharing information.

The offer was made by visiting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs William E Todd when he met Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan at his secretariat office.

After the meeting, the minister said the US offered support through sharing information in an effort to look into the recent killings in the country smoothly.

“They [US] want to help us by giving information and other things,” he told reporters at the secretariat with Todd. US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat also attended the meeting.

Todd along with the director for Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan Affairs in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs at the Department of State arrived in Dhaka on a sudden visit on Wednesday.

In response to a query, Asaduzzaman said they [Todd and Bernicat] came here to convey condolence over the recent killings, including that of policemen, in the country.

He also said the US delegation expressed satisfaction and thanked the government for tightening security measures in the country recently.

When asked about the issuance of security alert by various countries, the home boss said they issue security alert for their citizens living in almost every country of the world which is usual. “They issue it for the security of their citizens. This is not something additional”.

“We talked about a wide range of bilateral programmes between the two nations,” Todd told reporters when he was asked about the issues discussed in the meeting.

He said they also discussed broadening cooperation between the two countries in countering violent extremism.

There was no prior announcement of the US delegation's visit to Dhaka, and the US embassy kept mum about the purpose of the visit.

Diplomatic sources said the two-member US delegation would leave Dhaka for Sri Lanka today and was expected to come back on November 8 to hold meetings with top government officials, who were currently on a visit to the Netherlands with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.