The US embassy in Dhaka is “operational” despite Washington’s highest security alert in Bangladesh asking citizens not to travel to the country amid “civil unrest.”
“It is operational,” Matthew Miller, the State Department’s spokesperson, said replying to a question at a daily briefing on Wednesday in Washington.
He said the US had made clear its concerns about the ongoing security situation in Bangladesh.
“We announced the other day that we are exploring all options to ensure the safety of our personnel in Dhaka. We authorized the voluntary departure of nonemergency personnel and family members at the US embassy in Dhaka. The embassy does remain open to provide consular and other services to United States citizens who are in Bangladesh.
“And with respect to the safety and security of any American citizens, obviously that is our first priority and we encourage any US citizen who is worried about their safety and security, has concerns, anything they want to discuss, to contact our embassy.”
Earlier, the embassy raised the security alert level to four asking citizens not to travel to Bangladesh as a curfew had been imposed to contain countrywide violence following students’ movement for reforming quotas in government jobs.
The government reformed the quota system following a Supreme Court order on the issue.
Replying to a question on attacks on state properties, the spokesperson said: “We condemn all recent acts of violence in Bangladesh. We support the freedom of peaceful assembly. We condemn violence against those who are exercising their peaceful right to assembly. And we condemn violence on behalf of any protester who has turned their peaceful exercises simply into an excuse for violence. We condemn violence in all cases.”
“We want the people of Bangladesh to be able to exercise their fundamental freedoms the same way we want people all over the world to do – to be able to exercise their fundamental freedoms. So we want to – we continue to urge both protesters, private citizens and the government to refrain from violence,” he added.
Asked about the escape of nine convicted leaders of militant outfits in a prison break during the protests, the spokesperson said he did not have a specific comment on that.
