Govt confirms deaths of 2 Bangladeshis, 3 still missing

Bangladesh has clarified that two of its nationals have been killed in terror attacks at two mosques in New Zealand on Friday, reports UNB.

"Ten Bangladeshis were affected [by the attacks]. Two of them died and three others are missing," said state minister for foreign affairs M Shahriar Alam while addressing a seminar as the chief guest on Saturday.

Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) arranged the seminar titled "Bangladesh Diplomacy @50: Engaging the World" at the auditorium of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) marking DCAB's 21st anniversary.

Forty-nine people were killed in terror attacks at two mosques during Jum'a prayers in Christchurch.

Shahriar said Bangladeshi nationals Lipi, Motassif, Md Omar Faruk, Shahjada Akter, and Sheikh Hasan Rubel were injured. "Lipi and Motassif are critically wounded," he said.

Mozammel Haq, Shaon and Zakaria Bhuiyan are missing, the state minister added.

"The government will provide all the assistance to bring the bodies back if their families want," he said.

Bangladesh honorary consul Shafiqur Rahman Bhuiyan told UNB in the afternoon that five Bangladeshis had been "missing" and named them as Abdus Samad, Hosne Ara, Mozammel, Omar Faruk, and Zakaria.

But on the day of the attack, he said, three Bangladeshis were among those killed.

Clarifying further, the state minister said it was presumed that the wife of Samad died too based on primary information came from engineer Shafique through community people but there was no declaration from the hospital.

"There hasn't been any official confirmation," Bhuiyan said Saturday, adding that they were yet to receive any body or information from the New Zealand government. "So, how can we say they are dead?"

He also clarified that they got "incorrect information" about Abdus Samad's wife. "She didn't die in Friday's attack. She's fine," he said.

Following gruesome terrorist attacks on the two mosques in Christchurch, Bangladesh High Commission in Canberra has intensely engaged with the New Zealand authorities for the safety of members of Bangladesh diaspora and early safe exit of Bangladesh national cricket team from New Zealand.

The incident had happened minutes before the Bangladesh cricket team arrived at the mosque.

New Zealand police has assigned dedicated security personnel for the team. New Zealand Cricket, in consultation with Bangladesh Cricket Board, is making arrangement for their safe exit early, according to the foreign ministry in Dhaka.

"We still wait for details of them from the New Zealand security officials and hospital authorities officially," said the MoFA.

The high commission directly and through the honorary consul of Bangladesh in Auckland disseminated message to the Bangladeshis and diaspora living in New Zealand in general and Christchurch in particular to remain calm, be indoor, avoid the places of congregation and obey the instructions of law enforcers.

Honorary consul of Bangladesh Shafiqur Rahman arrived at Christchurch on Saturday morning to extend support to the Bangladeshi victims.