UK heightens alert, fears further attack

The United Kingdom apprehends more attacks on westerners in Bangladesh and those could be indiscriminate.

"There is a high threat from terrorism. Further attacks targeting westerners may occur," the British government said in its summarised travel advice updated yesterday for its citizens.

The fresh alert was issued after the government had taken "additional and tightening" security steps in the diplomatic area of Dhaka city and all over the country, and formed special taskforce group to ensure personal safety of the foreigners.

The UK government further said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has claimed responsibility for the recent murders of two foreign nationals.

Japanese citizen Hoshi Kunio was gunned down in Rangpur on October 3, five days after the killing of Italian national Cesare Tavella in Dhaka's diplomatic zone.

"Further attacks targeting westerners may occur and could be indiscriminate."

The travel alert also read: "You should be particularly vigilant, consider your movements carefully and take appropriate security precautions. Keep a low profile in all public spaces and limit your attendance at events where westerners may gather, for example in hotels or conference centres."

"There is considered to be a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally against UK interests and British nationals, from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria. You should be vigilant at this time," it added.

In response to a query from The Daily Star last night, the spokesperson for the British High Commission in an email said, "Our Travel Advice has been amended to reflect the continued high threat from terrorism in Bangladesh and the risk of further attacks targeting westerners. There are no changes to the parts of Bangladesh to which we advise against travel."

"The safety of British Nationals abroad is a major concern for the FCO. We, therefore, attach great importance to providing information about personal safety and security overseas, including an assessment of the level of threat from terrorism, to enable people to make informed decisions about travel," the spokesperson added.

However, other foreign government and embassies, including Australia and Canada, have not updated their travel advice yesterday but continued asking their citizens in Bangladesh to "exercise a high degree of caution".

This level-2 advice may reflect a weak law and order system where violent crime is prevalent. But importantly, it does not say "don't go" to this location, rather advising to take extra precautions and pay close attention to personal security at all times.

However, the United States Embassy in Dhaka has not updated its security message for its citizens in Bangladesh since October 1.

HOME BOSS DENIES US ENVOY'S CLAIM

Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has denied the claim of US Ambassador Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat that before the foreigners were killed, they had informed the Bangladesh government of a possible attack on Western interest.

"We didn't receive any such information," he said at a BBC Bangla programme in Dhaka yesterday.

However, the government had intelligence on plots of attacks on some "big target" of Bangladesh, the minister said. "And we acted accordingly."

"But we had no idea that foreigners would be targeted."