In an attempt to provide comprehensive protection to all foreign nationals currently living in the country, the police have started to reach out to them by identifying their residences and workplaces.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that a process has begun to locate nearly 224,000 foreign nationals currently residing in Bangladesh.
“Once they are all located, we will provide security for their movements, at their recreation places and during their social gatherings,” he said. A special taskforce has also been formed to ensure security of foreign nationals, the minister added.
Following the murder of a Japanese national in Rangpur on Saturday, deputy commissioners and superintendents of police in all districts were directed to beef up security for foreign nationals living in their respective areas and maintain regular contact with them.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque has also directed the top brass of the police force to ensure that the protection of foreigners are monitored closely so that there is no lapse in the process.
He issued the directive at a crime conference yesterday where all deputy inspector generals of police and division-level police commissioners attended, said a senior official present at the programme.
The police chief also directed his colleagues to identify and locate the killers of the two foreigners and bring them to justice.
The senior official, on condition of anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that the IGP has refuted the possibility of any presence of militant outfit Islamic State in the country.
Even if someone followed the ideology of the IS, law enforcers would never allow the country to be turned into a militant state, the official quoted the IGP as saying.
Japanese citizen Hoshi Kunio was murdered in Rangpur on Saturday, only five days after Italian national Cesare Tavella was killed in Dhaka’s Gulshan diplomatic zone on September 28. Both were shot and killed from behind by motorbike-riding gunmen.
Following their deaths, international media reports cited an intelligence group’s claim that the IS had been involved in the killings.
Border security strengthened
Security has been tightened in the border areas of the country to prevent any perpetrators from fleeing the country.
Our Jessore correspondent reports that security has been beefed up in the Benapole border checkpost by the immigration authority.
Benapole checkpoint immigration Inspector (investigation) Momin Uddin said the additional security measures would stay in place until further notice.
TM Mozahidul Islam, police superintendent of Lalmonirhat, told the Dhaka Tribune they have already been instructed about providing special security to foreign nationals.
The Border Guard Bangladesh has also increased their vigilance to prevent any criminal from crossing the border, said BGB 26 battalion Commanding Officer Lt Col Jahangir Hossain. He, however, said no red alert has been issued.