Foreign Minister briefs diplomats on Dhaka terror attack

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali has briefed Dhaka-based foreign diplomats and representatives of the international agencies on the terror attack that killed over 20 people, mostly foreigners.

Officials say the briefing on Tuesday at the State Guest House Padma began with a minute’s silence in remembrance of the victims.

Diplomatic security was the key issue addressed during the briefing following the Friday night’s attack, when terrorists stormed a cafe inside Gulshan diplomatic zone and took diners as hostage. Nine Italians, seven Japanese and one Indian were among those killed by them.

The so-called Islamic State claimed the responsibility of the carnage and released photos of the attackers who were killed during the commando operations.

The attack was carried out at a time when security was already intensified in the diplomatic zone after the last year’s murder of an Italian citizen not far from the cafe.

EU Ambassador Pierre Mayaudon on Sunday said the “tragedy has demonstrated that there is no such thing as full proof security.”

“The security paradigm will have to be revisited,” he had said.

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The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Paolo Gentiloni, had a telephone conversation with Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida  on Monday to coordinate the two governments’ diplomatic and intelligence activities in the aftermath of the attack in Dhaka.

According to the Italian foreign ministry, the two ministers stressed the importance of a “common commitment” among the G7 Countries –which Japan chairs this year and Italy next year – starting with the sharing of information.

Italian vice foreign minister Mario Giro reached Dhaka on Tuesday at a special flight to take the victims back home.

He visited the Gulshan spot and also vowed to work together with Bangladesh to root out terrorism.