United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern over the recent violence in Bangladesh and urged political and religious leaders to sit across the table to defuse the tensions. “The Secretary-General has been following the recent incidents of violence in Bangladesh with increasing concern and is saddened by the loss of lives including the events that unfolded in Dhaka throughout Sunday and into Monday,” said a statement issued by the spokesperson of the UN chief on Monday.
“The Secretary-General calls on all concerned to stop the violence, to respect the law and to express their views peacefully,” it said.
“The Secretary-General urges political and religious leaders to engage in constructive dialogue and help defuse the tensions,” it added.
Meanwhile, the United States has also expressed concern over the violence saying that violence is not the answer.
“We are concerned by the violence in Bangladesh over the weekend, including the violent deaths of at least several individuals. This comes on the heels of a series of hartals or general strikes that have significantly disrupted daily life in Dhaka in recent weeks,” acting deputy spokesperson of the US State Department Patrick Ventrell told the regular briefing in Washington on Monday.
“The Embassy (in Dhaka) is closely engaging with all parties to urge calm and encourage dialogue. While engaging in peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right, we firmly believe violence is never the answer,” he said.
“We look to the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the safety of all its citizens and encourage all Bangladeshis to peacefully express their views,” he added.
-With The Independent input
