US suspends peace corps activities in Bangladesh

Dhaka, Mar 15: The United States (US) has suspended indefinitely the operations of its Peace Corps Volunteers in Bangladesh in view of possible terrorist attempts on them in retaliation for the capture of five top Jamaatul Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB) leaders.

''The Peace Corps in Washington has decided to suspend indefinitely its programmes in Bangladesh due to the possibility that terrorist might attack its Volunteers in Bangladesh, perhaps in retaliation for the recent capture of five of the seven top JMB leaders,'' a US embassy announcement said here today.

''Peace Corps made this decision following a careful assessment of Bangladesh's prevailing security environment and did not base its conclusions on any single threat or incident,'' it said.

The announcement said ''We have welcomed the capture of Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai of the JMB as significant steps forward in the campaign against terrorism and extremism.'' ''One consequence of that success is concern over possible reprisal against Americans or other Western nationals by the JMB activists still at large.'' It, however, said, ''the security situation here will be periodically reviewed to determine whether to end or continue the suspension." Recently, 71 Peace Corps Volunteers were engaged in primary activities in schools and youth centres, hospitals and NGOs.

''They are in the process of leaving the country,'' said a US Embassy official.

UNI

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