Dhaka, December 31: Bangladesh on Thursday said foreign embassies here could deploy their own security personnel to guard their premises, dismissing opposition criticism over reports that India had sent a 50 member security squad for to secure its mission.
“The foreign missions can undertake steps on their own for the security and carry out other programmes inside their premises under the Vienna Convention,” a foreign ministry spokesman said.
She added that the premises of the foreign embassies were beyond the purview of the domestic law of the host countries.
The foreign office comments came a day after newspapers reported that India sent a 50-member security team for its embassy and main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) expressed concerns that their deployment could undermine Bangladesh’s “sovereignty”.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Sahara Khatun’s comment two days ago that said she was unaware about India’s move to deploy its own security personnel at the high commission, came in for criticism by her party.
Official sources said Khatun came under criticism by her cabinet colleagues for making “confusing comments” at a cabinet meeting with Premier Sheikh Hasina last night.
–PTI