Tension in Middle East: Dhaka closely monitoring situation

Bangladesh is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East, the region gripped by heightened tension following the killing of a top Iranian commander by the United States.

Talking to Dhaka Tribune on Friday, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen also said that Bangladeshis living in war-savaged Iraq were safe.

Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, the top commander of the elite Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, and top Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed in a US drone attack in Baghdad earlier on Friday.

The killings prompted Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamene to declare to take revenge, making the region more volatile.

"We are closely monitoring the situation as well as safety and security of our people living in the region," Foreign Secretary Masud said.

Quoting the Bangladesh ambassador in Iraq, he said Bangladeshis living in Iraq were safe.

To a question, Masud said: "It is difficult to say the exact number of Bangladeshis living in Iraq, but it is estimated that the figure will be around 100,000."

"Most of our people live in Iraqi Kurdistan, which has been safe and stable for a number of years. Our worries are for those living in Baghdad and the surrounding areas," he added.