In new advisory, US asks citizens not to travel to violence-hit Bangladesh
These crimes are often situational, based on time and location, the report said | Photo: pexels
The United States has advised its citizens against traveling to Bangladesh and has allowed the voluntary departure of non-emergency government employees and family members due to ongoing unrest in the South Asian country.
The development comes just a day after the US issued a new travel advisory for Bangladesh, urging Americans to reconsider their trips to the unrest-torn country.
Bangladeshi authorities have imposed a strict curfew across the country and military personnel are patrolling parts of the capital to quell further violence. Days of clashes over the distribution of government jobs have left more than 40 dead and hundreds injured.
The US State Department has raised its travel advisory for Bangladesh to Level 4: “Do Not Travel.”
“Do not travel to Bangladesh due to unrest, crime and terrorism,” the State Department said. “The Department has permitted voluntary departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members.”
“The Bangladesh government has imposed a curfew across Bangladesh and directed everyone to stay indoors. The Bangladesh Army has been deployed across the country to reinforce the police. Telecommunications have been disrupted in Dhaka and the rest of the country. Due to the security situation, there may be delays in the provision of routine consular services,” the advisory said.
According to the U.S. State Department, crimes such as robberies, burglaries, assaults and illegal drug trafficking make up the majority of criminal activity in Bangladesh’s major cities. However, there is no evidence that foreigners are targeted because of their nationality.
According to the report, these crimes are often situational and dependent on time and location.
The advisory states that attacks can occur with little or no prior warning. Terrorists target public places such as tourist attractions, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, restaurants, places of worship, school grounds and government buildings.
For security reasons, certain movement and travel restrictions apply to U.S. Embassy staff in Bangladesh.
The U.S. government may be limited in its ability to provide emergency assistance to its citizens in Bangladesh due to these travel restrictions, a lack of infrastructure and limited host government emergency resources, the report said.
The department has urged U.S. citizens to take certain precautions, such as avoiding demonstrations and political rallies, monitoring local media for current events and being prepared to adjust plans if they decide to travel to Bangladesh.
“Do not physically resist an attempted robbery. Go to a safe place and report any criminal incident to local authorities. Sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive notifications, including updates on consular services, so you can be found more easily in an emergency,” the State Department’s other recommendations read.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been edited by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: Jul 21, 2024 | 07:55 AM IST