Govt knows Peter Haas' location, but won't reveal: Ministry

Amid widespread speculations about the departure of United States ambassador Peter Haas from Dhaka, the foreign ministry said they are aware of the envoy's location but will not disclose it.

Seheli Sabrin, spokesperson for the ministry, made the statement in a weekly press briefing at the ministry on Thursday.

"The government is aware of where US ambassador Peter Haas has gone. However, his location will not be disclosed," she told the media.

Citing a standard diplomatic practice, Seheli Sabrin said the ambassadors stationed in Dhaka inform the foreign ministry through diplomatic notes when they leave their workstations. The same applies to Bangladeshi envoys stationed in different countries.

She also advised the reporters to ask the US embassy in Dhaka about the ambassador's current location.

According to Dhaka airport sources, Peter Haas left Dhaka on a SriLankan Airlines flight for Colombo on Thursday afternoon.

Following two controversial elections here, the US has been insisting on holding the forthcoming parliamentary polls in a free, fair, and inclusive manner, but the government smells an effort of regime change.

It led to a heated bilateral relationship between the two countries. As the US mission chief in Dhaka, Peter Haas became a familiar face for his frequent engagement with political leaders, government officials, rights defenders, and civil society.

As the news of his departure spread on social media platforms, some netizens speculated that he might have been called back to the US, while some others are fearing stricter actions from the country due to repeated denial to its call for ensuring a conducive election for a free, fair, and inclusive election.