The recent killing of an Italian in Dhaka has also worried the international buyers of Bangladeshi garments, said the industry insiders, adding, however, that it wouldn’t have any significant impact on exports.
The industry people think the murder of the NGO official was an isolated incident and is, therefore, unlikely to bring any bad news for the country’s largest sector.
They urged the government to make it clear to the envoys that it would provide adequate security to foreign citizens while staying in the country recently troubled with militant threats.
The 50-year-old Cesare Tavella, murdered Italian in Dhaka, was project manager of PROOFS, a food security project of the Netherlands-based ICCO Cooperative. He was shot dead on Monday night by unidentified assailants.
Following the incident, the European Union, Italy, US and Australia issued travel alerts for their citizens in Bangladesh.
“Though the buyers are a bit concerned, it will not create any big problem since the incident is an isolated one,” Faruque Hassan, senior vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told the Dhaka Tribune.
“I talked to most of the ambassadors [in Dhaka] about the incident and found them a bit concerned, but not very much,” he said.
On Monday, the BGMEA will sit with the buyer representatives to discuss the developments. The BGMEA will urge the buyers not to feel any lack of security to visit Bangladesh.
“However, I have been informed by a BGMEA member that one UK buyer of his products has delayed planned visit due to red alert issued by his country’s embassy in Dhaka. But others continue with their visits,” Faruque Hassan said.
He urged the government to provide all assurances to foreign embassies here that their citizens could come to Bangladesh without any fear and sufficient security would be given to them during their stay.
BGMEA’s former vice president Shahidullah Azim said the country’s security system was not under threat, but the government should be proactive in preventing any occurrence like the murder of a foreigner, as it could hurt the country’s export sector.