Travel alert

Canada declined even to follow up its report with a warning to its own citizens, and the US and Australia clarified that their advisories were merely fresh extensions of previous alerts. The US ambassador termed his state department's alert a public announcement to keep US citizens in Bangladesh cautious that fell short of an official travel warning, going so far as to add that the US was satisfied with security measures taken by the Bangladesh government.

Nevertheless, the government was right to respond as it did, and we would like to second its statement on local links to international terror. The US travel alert, which warned its citizens to remain vigilant in public places frequented by foreigners and to avoid large crowds, seemed particularly on the alarmist side. The government is correct to state that foreign citizens are generally secure in Bangladesh and that no Bangladeshi has been held anywhere in the world in connection with international terror.

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This is not to say that we don't have problems of our own with law and order and political unrest and even with acts of domestic terrorism. But let us not confuse our real problems that urgently need to be addressed with phantom ones that run the risk of diverting resources from where they are truly needed.

These kind of travel advisories and reports can tarnish the image of Bangladesh overseas and could have a negative impact on trade, foreign investment and tourism to name only a few sectors. As such, it is important that we speak up and set the record straight.