Foreign ambassadors in Bangladesh will send an official letter to the Foreign Ministry seeking an explanation from the government about the killing of Italian national Cesare Tavella.
The decision was made at a meeting of the envoys at the residence of British High Commissioner Robert Gibson.
“We had a meeting today where the British High Commissioner informed us that on behalf of all of the ambassadors, he would send a note verbale to the Foreign Ministry,” deputy dean of the diplomatic corps Egyptian Ambassador Mahmoud Yehia M Ezzat Mostafa told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The British High Commissioner is the dean of the diplomatic corps meaning that he holds seniority among his colleagues because he has served longest in Bangladesh.
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in an updated travel advisory, said: “On the evening of 28 September, an Italian citizen was shot and killed in Road 90 of the Gulshan diplomatic zone in Dhaka; the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has claimed responsibility; a number of international schools and expatriate clubs have closed for the day on 29 September as a precaution; you should be particularly vigilant at this time.”
“There is reliable information that militants may be planning to target western interests in Bangladesh,” the British travel alert added.
The Egyptian ambassador said: “We want a briefing from the Foreign Ministry about what is happening and seek their assurance about our safety. It is unfortunate that the Italian national was killed inside the diplomatic zone.”
Cesare Tavella was gunned down by three assailants at Road 90 in Gulshan, where many embassies are located. He was an aid worker employed by ICCO, a Netherlands-based church cooperative.
A post-mortem was conducted and his remains have been kept at Dhaka Medical College morgue.
When contacted, acting Foreign Secretary Khurshed Alam confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune that security had been beefed up in the diplomatic zone.
EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Pierre Mayaudon yesterday attended a meeting at the Foreign Ministry and expressed his concern about the incident.
In a press release yesterday, the EU ambassador termed the incident a “terrorist crime.”
“Ambassador Mayaudon condemns this terrorist crime in the strongest possible terms and urges the law enforcement agencies to promptly investigate this barbaric aggression and bring the perpetrators to justice,” the press release read.
The United States Embassy in Bangladesh, in a security message, said: “There is reliable new information to suggest that militants may be planning to target Australian interests in Bangladesh. Such attacks, should they occur, could likely affect other foreigners including US citizens.”
“The US government continues to receive information that terrorist groups in South Asia may also be planning attacks in the region, possibly against US government facilities, US citizens, or US interests,” the security message reads. “Terrorists have demonstrated their willingness and ability to attack locations where US citizens or Westerners are known to congregate or visit.”
“Until further notice, all US government personnel are prohibited from attending large gatherings in Bangladesh, including events at international hotels, unless they have obtained Regional Security Office permission,” the message reads.
The British government issued a similar alert saying there was reliable information that militants may be planning to target western interests in Bangladesh. UK officials have been advised to limit their attendance at events where westerners may gather, for example at hotels and conference centres.
On September 25, the day of Eid-ul-Azha, Australia issued a travel alert saying they had “reliable information” about possible attacks on Australian interests.
Hours after Tavella’s killing, the United States and the United Kingdom issued similar security and travel alerts.
