US issues fresh travel alert for B'desh, asserts threat of terrorism is 'real'

Cautioning its citizens to maintain caution in the wake of the attacks including the shooting in a mosque on Eid and the deadly assault in a cafe in Bangladesh, the United States has issued a fresh travel advisory calling on its citizens to be vigilant and consider the risk of travel to Bangladesh

"The State Department issued a Travel Warning for Bangladesh on the 6th of July, yesterday, alerting U.S. citizens to the ongoing potential for extremist violence and recommending U.S. citizens consider the risk of travel to Bangladesh. And I want to highlight the word "ongoing" in that. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Alert that was issued back in February of this year," State Department spokesperson John Kirby said in a press briefing.

Asserting that the U.S. Government believes the threat of terrorism remains real and credible and that terrorist attacks could occur against foreigners, Kirby said that the U.S. citizens in Bangladesh are urged to maintain a high level of vigilance in light of recent terrorist attacks and to monitor local security developments.

"The U.S. embassy has imposed restrictions on personnel movement, which we list on the country-specific information page on our website, travel.state.gov. Again, and I want to stress that anybody planning travel to the region ought to go to there and check it out. U.S. citizens in Bangladesh are encouraged to take similar precautions as those we have instituted for our own people," Kirby added.

He also reiterated that the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas is one of their highest priorities.

An explosion took place during an Eid prayer at the Sholakia field of Kishoreganj town around 9:45 a.m. local time yesterday, where people gather each year for Eid congregation. It is said to be the country's largest Eid congregation.

The attack came days after the terror attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's upscale Gulshan area, claimed 22 lives, including 17 foreigners. The attack drew worldwide condemnation.

The ISIS has claimed responsibility for the incident and even warned of more attacks in Bangladesh.