Canada, Denmark condemn Dhaka terror attack, stand by Bangladesh

Canada and Denmark have expressed their solidarity with Bangladesh after the terror attack in Dhaka as the global condemnations and supports continue to pour in.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 3 July 2016, 10:52 AM
Updated : 31 July 2016, 09:04 PM

The deadly attack at a Dhaka cafe on Friday night left at least 17 foreigners and five Bangladeshis, including two police officers, killed.

The overnight hostage drama, the first in Bangladesh’s history, ended Saturday morning after an hour-long operation by army commandos. Six terrorists were killed and another was arrested.

The Islamic State has reportedly claimed responsibility for the brutal attack and published photos of the gunmen on its website.

Bangladesh is observing two days of national mourning from Sunday and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in an address to the nation on Saturday, appealed to Bangladeshis to keep faith in her government.

Denmark

Danish Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen condemned the attack and said such “meaningless violence is completely unacceptable and must be fought.”

“Our strongest response is to stay united and not let our democracy, liberty and way of live fall into fear and despair,”

He expressed his “deepest compassion” for the victims and their bereaved. “They are in my thoughts.”

The Danish embassy in a statement said “it is truly a dark day in the young history of Bangladesh.”

“This is a time for solidarity and unity. Our strongest asset is our ability to show empathy and compassion for our fellow human beings.

“Our greatest response is to stay united and don’t let fear and despair stand in the way of humanity, mutual trust , our way of life and the development of Bangladesh,” the embassy said.

Canada

The government of Canada has expressed its “deepest sympathies to the loved ones of the victims, including the brave officers of the Bangladesh security forces.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their family and their friends. It breaks my heart to see so many people taken away from their children, their spouses, their families, and their countries. We are all poorer for this loss,” Canadian High Commissioner Benoît-Pierre Laramée said in a statement.

He said he was “profoundly saddened” by the brutal attack.

“We condemn this attack in the strongest terms. Canada has stood with Bangladesh for over 40 years, supporting its development.

“Yesterday, the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Foreign Minister of Canada, made unequivocally clear that Canada stands with the Bangladeshi people in the face of this act of terror, and reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Canada to fight terrorism.

“Terrorism is a global challenge which must be tackled collectively. We appreciate the commitment of the Government of Bangladesh to countering violent extremism, and Canada stands ready to support Bangladesh in these efforts,” read the statement.