Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Sunday said there is no shortage of security for the US ambassador Peter D Haas in Dhaka.
“There is no lack of security for Peter Haas. Our police forces were there. Whenever the police forces came to know that the US ambassador was going there, it became the duty of the police to go there,” he said.
The home minister made the remarks at a press conference following a meeting at the Secretariat on Sunday.
“The US embassy should have informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the ambassador would go to visit a house at ShaheenBagh (in the capital). Neither the Foreign Ministry nor the Home Ministry had any information about it,” he added.
“As soon as we came to know about his movement, the Officer-in-Charge concerned rushed there in civil dress”, he further said.
If one watches the videos, they will see that the OC ran in civil clothes even before wearing police uniform. So police went there without any delay. There was no lack of security, the minister said.
About leaking information about the movement of US ambassador, the home boss said, “We don't know anything about that. He did not give us any information. We do not know how the information was leaked, whether the information was leaked from there or not.”
“Our policing system is so strict that we have bit policing system in every ward. Our OC went to the spot without any delay. He could not even change his civil dress. He has made sure that the security of the US Ambassador is not hampered in any way.”
About US ambassador's request for additional security, the home minister further said,“There is enough security at the embassy. When they get out of the embassy, they get out with our security. There are four embassies in Dhaka, which are given additional security. The US ambassador is one of them. We have not heard any question about his security lacking.”
About the latest meeting between Prime Minster and Hefazat-e-Islam leaders, Asaduzzaman Khan said that the prime minister will definitely look into the demands made by the Hefazat-e-Islam leaders and fulfill those which are deemed reasonable.
Earlier on Saturday, the leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam held a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina atGanobhaban. They put forth seven points of demand including the release of leaders, workers and scholars, and withdrawal of cases. The home minister was also present there.
During the press briefing Asaduzzaman said that the premier will take the demands into consideration.
In case of the demands that will take time to look into, she will bring those to the attention of concerned individuals, he added.
Sunday was the sixth meeting of the national committee on coordination and management, and law and order situation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar-nationals in the camp areas of Bangladesh.
The home minister said that Myanmar's network is used in Rohingya camps. A committee has been formed to discourage it and promote utilising Bangladesh's network only.
Among others, representatives of various ministries and organisations were present in the meeting.
