The 13th Saarc Summit slated for February 6 and 7 faces new hurdles after the emergency declared in Nepal yesterday by King Gyanendra who dissolved the coalition government of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Nepal is yet to name its head of the state or government to participate in the seven-nation summit. The current Saarc chair Pakistan and the Nepalese embassy in Dhaka have tried to contact Kathmandu for a decision, but failed.
Meanwhile, a high-level security team arrived here yesterday from India to ensure the security of the Indian delegation, especially Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Dhaka termed it a 'routine' visit ahead of
such a big event.
"We are still assessing the situation. We are optimistic at this point that the summit will go ahead as scheduled. We have not heard anything otherwise," said Foreign Secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury at a press briefing.
"We're trying to contact the Nepalese government in Kathmandu as well as our mission there. But we have not been able to establish any contact as yet. All we know now about the situation in Nepal came through the international media," he added.
"All arrangements have been made to host this summit, and we see no reason to change anything as yet," Chowdhury added.
He said he would not rule out the possibility of King Gyanendra's joining the summit to represent
Nepal as the Nepalese Kings have done so in the past. The summit would also go on if Gyanendra appoints a prime minister before the summit takes place.
Asked whether the Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) standing committee proceeds tomorrow if the Nepalese foreign secretary fails to turn up, Chowdhury said, "We would take a decision upon the situation."
Chowdhury said Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan called his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri yesterday, when Kasuri told him that Pakistan too could not contact Kathmandu.
Pakistan, as the current Saarc chair, has the responsibility to ®he ^tar
contact Kathmandu and make a decision in consultation with other Saarc member states on Nepal's decision about its participation.
Chowdhury also said that the Nepalese embassy in Dhaka itself could not contact its government and he was also unable to contact his Nepalese counterpart and the Bangladeshi mission there.
Asked if the visit by the high-level Indian security team is related to a serious threat to the Indian prime minister, Chowdhury said, "These security matters are routine." Security teams are always sent by other member states to review the security facilities of the host country.
Speaking on the hartal called by the opposition for the next week amid a volatile political situation following the Habiganj grenade attack that killed former finance minister SAMS Kibria and four others, Chowdhury said: "It would have no effect on the summit."
Our New Delhi correspondent adds: Official sources in New Delhi said India has taken note of the three-day nationwide hartal in Bangladesh, including the one coinciding with the first day of the Saarc summit.
SECURITY BLANKET
The capital witnessed an unprecedented security yesterday as the law-enforcers had intensified their vigil in the entire capital ahead of the Saarc summit.
The members of intelligence agencies were posted at several key points to thwart any attempt to carry out subversive acts during the summit. Elite anticrime force Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) has also started patrolling the city.
Using sniffer dogs and metal detectors the security men checked four hotels where Saarc leaders and
officials will stay during the summit. The watchmen have been provided with sophisticated binoculars.
Huge contingents of lawenforcers are guarding the four hotels, especially Dhaka Sheraton Hotel where Saarc leaders will stay, and letting people enter the hotels after checking their identities and baggage.
About 6,000 members of police were deployed in Dhaka yesterday, sources said.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to beef up security during the fresh bout of the opposition-sponsored hartal to stop violence.
The decision was taken at a high level meeting yesterday attended by State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar and heads of police, Rab, Ansar and VDP.
The Rab men will monitor all processions during February 3 and 5 and 6 hartal days.
They will take video footages of the processions and movement of people who will take part in the demonstrations.
The meeting also decided that the number of female policemen will be increased in the capital for guarding the procession of women opposition activists.
Our Khulna correspondent reports: Border watch has been beefed up in southwestern districts as part of Saarc security.
BDR and police have been kept on high alert and ordered to strengthen surveillance to stop crossborder crimes and trespassing of foreign criminals into Bangladesh.
All passengers and luggage of Dhaka-bound buses were checked yesterday.
INTER-DISTRICT BUS TO PLY, MARKETS TO OPEN Yesterday's meeting at home ministry also decided to take measures after the Saarc summit to ensure that inter-district buses run during hartals.
Discussing government steps for operating buses in the capital, participants of the meeting underscored ensuring people's mobility in the whole country.
The government also decided to take steps to keep markets open during hartal, a participant of the meeting said. "The government has taken the hartal as a challenge."