Govt keeps eye on Iraq situation: FS
The government has been observing situation in Iraq keeping in consideration the likelihood of evacuating the Bangladeshis living in the country if required, according to officials familiar with the process.
The foreign ministry was in touch with the embassy of Bangladesh in Baghdad on Friday as situation got tensed in Iraq after killing of a top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in a US airstrike at Baghdad airport, according to a Bangladesh diplomat in Baghdad.
Over 2 lakh Bangladeshis, mainly economic migrants, are now living in different Iraqi cities and towns for jobs, officials said.
Foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen told New Age that they were in touch with the Bangladesh embassy in Iraq to find out details about the expatriate population in the country.
Bangladesh ambassador in Baghdad Abu Maksud M Forhad informed the foreign ministry that the Bangladeshis were safe so far till Friday afternoon.
In a travel advice, the US embassy in Baghdad has asked the US nationals to leave Iraq ‘immediately’ as Iran has warned that the US should expect ‘harsh retaliation’ for the killing of Iranian military commander, according to international news agencies.
The France government has asked its nationals not to travel to Iraq until further notice.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of ‘severe revenge’ for the killing, foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif denounced the US attack as a dangerous escalation.
Pro-Iran armed groups in Yemen, with borders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon, with borders with Syria, too made statement on Friday in line with the Irani government’s position.
There are risks of deterioration of situation in Iraq that might spread in other countries in the region where several million Bangladeshis work, officials said mentioning that Bangladesh had asked the West Asian countries to resolve problems among them through discussions to keep the region peaceful.
A senior expatriate ministry official said that they might request the foreign ministry for evacuating the Bangladeshis ‘if situation demands’.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
