John Kerry arrives in Dhaka

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Dhaka for a short official visit on Monday.

A special jet carrying Kerry landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:10am.

Foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali and Bangladesh ambassador to USA Mohammad Ziauddin received him at the airport at 10:24am.

His visit is taking place amid growing US’s security concerns in Dhaka following the July 1 terrorist attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery and O’ Kitchen restaurant in which 20 hostages, including 17 foreigners, was killed.

Washington had issued travel warnings for Bangladesh and authorised a ‘voluntary departure’ of family members of US embassy diplomats and staff from Dhaka.

Kerry had also called up Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and sent the Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Nisha Desai Biswal to express Washington’s solidarity with Bangladesh.