Foreign ministry officials meet with 13 envoys

Ambassadors of 13 foreign missions – which issued a joint statement last week after ruling party activists assaulted Hero Alom during the Dhaka-17 by-polls – have held a meeting with foreign ministry officials at the State Guest House Padma, diplomatic sources said. 

The meeting started at 3pm and ended at 3:50pm on Wednesday (26 July).

According to diplomatic sources, state minister for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam will brief the media at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital.

The government summoned high commissioners yesterday (25 July) over their joint statement.

The statement called for a full investigation and accountability for the perpetrators of the assault on independent candidate Ashraful Alom, better known as Hero Alom.

In the joint statement, the foreign missions said, "We condemn the July 17 attack on Dhaka-17 constituency candidate Ashraful Alom, popularly known as Hero Alom. Violence has no place in the democratic process."

"Everyone involved in the upcoming elections should ensure that they are free, fair, and peaceful," said the diplomatic missions in Dhaka.

The joint statement was signed by the embassies/high commissions of Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States and the delegation of the European Union.

On July 20, the government also called Sheldon Yett, the acting UN resident coordinator, to discuss a tweet expressing concern about the attack on Hero Alom.