Bangladesh should ensure safety of all its citizens: US

Expressing concern over the recent violence in Bangladesh, the US has called on the country's government to ensure the safety of all its citizens and encourage them to peacefully express their views.
Violence in Bangladesh in the last two days has claimed many lives with a radical Islamic outfit, demanding a tougher blasphemy law, clashing with police.
"This comes on the heels of a series of hartals, or general strikes, that have significantly disrupted daily life in Dhaka in recent weeks," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters.
The US embassy in Dhaka is closely engaging with all parties to urge calm and encourage dialogue, he said.

"While engaging in peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right, we firmly believe violence is never the answer. We look to the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the safety of all its citizens and encourage all Bangladeshis to peacefully express their views," Ventrell said.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has said that US President Barack Obama is being kept informed of the developments in the human tragedy in Bangladesh due to the collapse of a building last month that has claimed more than 600 lives.
"He (Obama) has as part of his regular briefings been kept up to date about the tragic developments in Bangladesh and the tremendous loss of life. And I know that his (Obama's) thoughts and prayers go to the victims of that tragedy," Carney said.

Describing the tragedy in Bangladesh as "terrible", Carney said, "I don't have specific information about some of the issues you raise that go into questions about how this happened, but he (Obama) is absolutely being kept abreast of that development.