Bangladesh
Home Minister Foreign diplomats can avail paid security service on roads if they want: Home Minister
Dhaka, May 18: Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that if foreign diplomats want, they can take security on the road through the vigilant Ansar regiment guards in exchange of money.
The Home Minister said this in response to reporters' questions at the secretariat on Wednesday. He said this after the meeting of the task force formed to implement the 111-point recommendations of the committee formed to strengthen discipline and control accidents in the road transport sector.
The government has withdrawn the additional security of the ambassadors of some countries posted in Bangladesh, including the United States and the United Kingdom. On drawing attention to this, the minister said, "When militancy arose in the country, we had a reign of fire and terror here. I used to provide road protection to four embassies then. It is not given in writing. They didn't ask us either. We gave it to them, so that they would not suffer. We have not given anyone outside the four embassies."
He said, "We think that situation does not exist now. Since that situation does not exist. I have removed the road protection. However, if an ambassador feels they are needed, we have created a new Ansar Guard regiment, and they will be responsible for that security. It should be paid on-payment. The cost should be paid to the embassy. We will arrange that according to the rules. This is how the decision has been made."
When asked whether any embassy has applied for security in this way, the minister said, "We have only informed, whoever needs it will inform. All embassies have police security for security. The four ambassadors I mentioned also have gunmen. All kinds of protection are there. Only the security that we used to provide on the road, it has only been withdrawn. The notification issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given details in this regard. If they want road protection, we will arrange it."
It is also being said that the security of the ministers will be reduced - the minister said, "We will not reduce it, we have decided that the guard regiment that we have created, we will bring everyone under the security of the guard regiment." We will gradually give this Ansar Guard regiment to ministers and VIPs."
