Addl security escorts for foreign diplomats withdrawn

Staff Reporter  :
The government has withdrawn additional police security facilities for the foreign diplomats stationed in Bangladesh and from now on all the envoys will get equal security facilities during their mobility across the country.

As a result, four countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, India and the KSA who used to receive additional police escort facilities will no longer have access to them.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq said that the envoys who currently receive additional police protection during their movements would be assigned Ansar members, instead of police personnel.

The DMP commissioner said that the decision of withdrawing additional police force for the protection of the diplomats has been taken due to the shortage of manpower.

However, the DMP Commissioner said that such decision would not weaken the security of the envoys. On the other hand, the deployment of the police force for all the embassies and high commissions will remain the same.

“We have observed that diplomats from certain countries are accompanied by additional police protection during their movements. Due to a shortage of manpower, we have made the decision to assign Ansar members for their security. We are committed to ensuring their protection through the deployment of Ansar members,” the DMP Commissioner told the media.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry said that the government has taken the decision to balance security facilities to the foreign diplomats without any discrimination.

“The additional police protocol for all diplomats has been revoked because such facilities are not given in the developed countries. Furthermore, our country’s law and order situation is not so deteriorated that people are shot on the streets or malls are attacked. Such situations do not exist in our country,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told the media on Monday.
He further said, “The diplomats of many countries request additional privileges, and it is becoming excessive. The demand is increasing day by day. We need our forces for our Metro Rail and Padma Bridge.”

“We have made the decision that if anyone wants these forces, they can rent them in exchange for money, as it happens in other countries,” he said.

The minister also said that the foreign diplomats in the developed countries do not travel with flags – neither in America, the United Kingdom, nor any European country.
“We are considering whether we should also withdraw this practice,” he said.

He also said that the police administration has already informed all missions in Dhaka regarding the matter.
The Foreign ministry said that after the Holey Artisan attack in 2016, some of the foreign diplomats used to get extra protocol for security reason.

The decision to withdraw additional police security was communicated to the embassies and police will now take further steps regarding the matter.