The government has requested Italian authorities to provide enhanced security measures for Chief Adviser Mohammed Yunus during his upcoming visit to Rome.
The move comes in the wake of a security breach in New York last month, which has prompted Dhaka to take extra precautions for all senior members of the delegation.
According to official sources, Yunus is scheduled to leave Dhaka on 12 October to attend the Global Food Forum to be held in Rome.
The chief adviser will deliver the keynote address at the main session on 13 October, which will focus on global food security and sustainable agricultural practices. Three other advisers – agriculture, fisheries and food – will accompany him.
“We are being particularly cautious about the Rome visit,” said a senior foreign ministry official, noting that a large Bangladeshi diaspora resides in Italy. “We want to avoid any untoward incident or hostile situation during the visit.”
Officials confirmed that the trip will be brief and strictly limited to official engagements. There will be no planned interaction with the Bangladeshi expatriate community this time.
Last month in New York, during the chief adviser’s participation in the UN General Assembly, a group of protesters verbally abused senior leaders of the BNP and National Citizen Party (NCP). The situation escalated when eggs were thrown at NCP leader Akhter Hossain outside airport.
