The United States updated its travel advisory for Bangladesh on Saturday, warning Americans to reconsider travel plans to the country due to ongoing “civil unrest,” criminal activity and terrorist threats.
Authorities have imposed a strict curfew across Bangladesh and deployed army troops to patrol certain areas of the capital to quell further violence after days of clashes over the allocation of government job opportunities left more than 40 people dead and hundreds injured.
“Due to civil unrest in Dhaka, travelers should reconsider travel. There are ongoing reports of demonstrations and violent clashes in Dhaka and the surrounding areas, and across Bangladesh,” the US State Department said in a statement on Saturday.
“Due to the security situation, there may be delays in the provision of regular consular services,” it added.
The U.S. State Department said certain restrictions have been imposed on the movement and travel of U.S. embassy personnel in Bangladesh due to security concerns, which may limit the ability to provide emergency services to U.S. nationals in the country.
The United States and Canada both called on Bangladesh to respect the right to peaceful protest and expressed concern over recent violence in the country.
The students are protesting against public sector job quotas, which include a 30 percent quota for the families of fighters from Pakistan’s 1971 war of independence. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said her government will set up a judicial commission to investigate the murders.
In response to the protests, police have used tear gas in some areas to disperse protesters, and the government has banned gatherings, restricted communications, deployed military forces in parts of the country, and enforced a night-time curfew.
Dozens of people have been killed in the past week.
The quotas have sparked anger among students in the face of high youth unemployment: Some 32 million young people are currently out of work or education in Bangladesh, out of a total population of 170 million.
(With input from relevant agencies)
Authorities have imposed a strict curfew across Bangladesh and deployed army troops to patrol certain areas of the capital to quell further violence after days of clashes over the allocation of government job opportunities left more than 40 people dead and hundreds injured.
“Due to civil unrest in Dhaka, travelers should reconsider travel. There are ongoing reports of demonstrations and violent clashes in Dhaka and the surrounding areas, and across Bangladesh,” the US State Department said in a statement on Saturday.
“Due to the security situation, there may be delays in the provision of regular consular services,” it added.
Expanding
The United States and Canada both called on Bangladesh to respect the right to peaceful protest and expressed concern over recent violence in the country.
The students are protesting against public sector job quotas, which include a 30 percent quota for the families of fighters from Pakistan’s 1971 war of independence. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said her government will set up a judicial commission to investigate the murders.
In response to the protests, police have used tear gas in some areas to disperse protesters, and the government has banned gatherings, restricted communications, deployed military forces in parts of the country, and enforced a night-time curfew.
Dozens of people have been killed in the past week.
The quotas have sparked anger among students in the face of high youth unemployment: Some 32 million young people are currently out of work or education in Bangladesh, out of a total population of 170 million.
(With input from relevant agencies)
