New Delhi ‘won’t jump to conclusions’

India has said it will wait for the outcome of Bangladesh government’s probe into the bomb blast in Khulna on Friday to ascertain whether it was indeed an attack on New Delhi’s envoy to Dhaka Pankaj Saran.

New Delhi also clarified it had no concerns over the security of the High Commissioner or any of its diplomats in Bangladesh.

“Our High Commission is in touch with Bangladeshi authorities who are investigating the case, so let us wait for the outcome of those investigations, before jumping to any conclusion, whether it was at all an attack related to the High Commission,” Syed Akbaruddin, Spokesperson of the Indian Government’s Ministry of External Affairs, told journalists in New Delhi on Saturday.

Saran was having a meeting on the Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industries premises when three crude bombs exploded close to his car parked nearby.

The Ministry of External Affairs of India said the car did not belong to the High Commission of India in Dhaka, but had been hired by it.

“As per our information, yesterday while the High Commissioner was attending a function in Khulna, there were crude bomb explosions approximately 20 meters away from where his car was parked. As per our information, nobody involved with the High Commission was either injured, nor was the car damaged in any way,” Akbaruddin told media persons in response to a query on the incident.

Meanwhile, Sub Inspector Md Zafar Ahmed of the Khulna Sadar Police Station has filed a General Diary over the explosions on Saturday, station’s Officer in Charge Shahabuddin Azad has said.

The Indian MEA Spokesman said that the High Commissioner had gone ahead with his engagements in Khulna even after the explosions.

Saran on Saturday travelled to Jessore to visit the Ramakrishna Mission there. He is likely to fly back to Dhaka as per his pre-scheduled programme.

“Since those explosions, the High Commissioner has received a large number of calls expressing concerns for him and assuring him that full security will be provided to him and all the High Commission officials. So, we have no cause for concern there,” said Akbaruddin.

OC Azad, however, said no one has been detained in connection with the explosions yet, but added the law keepers were trying to nab the perpetrators.

Source: Bd news24