Dhaka: Laying emphasis on extra safety of its personnel, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has said it remains ‘firmly committed’ to contributing to the development of Bangladesh.

‘We at JICA will continue giving top priority to the safety of JICA-related personnel and thoroughly assessing the situation on the ground in the places where we do our work,’ said JICA President Shinichi Kitaoka in a statement received in Dhaka on Wednesday.

The people who were killed and injured not only participated in survey work in Bangladesh, together with JICA they also contributed to the growth of developing countries and were expected to continue doing so, he said.

‘It’s a matter of great sorrow to us that these precious comrades were killed or injured,’ Kitaoka said.

He said a Japanese man was killed in October last in northwest Bangladesh and they elevated their safety measures and have been alerting all JICA-related personnel to the danger.

‘And JICA was just recently warning them again to be extra cautious, particularly during and just after Ramadan. It’s quite regrettable that this result came about despite those efforts,’ said the JICA president.

Kitaoka said it is extremely regrettable that seven Japanese people were killed and one injured in a terrorist attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 1 July.

The eight were consultants engaged in survey work for JICA. They were participating in a preparatory survey related to an infrastructure project to improve the urban transit situation in Dhaka, where traffic is rapidly increasing.

‘Sadly, these people, who worked hard for the development of Bangladesh, became caught up in this incident,’ said Kitaoka adding, ‘It’s impossible to suppress our anger at the criminals who carried out this act of terrorism.’

He said he sincerely prays that those whose lives were lost will rest in peace and offer his condolences to their loved ones.

I also pray for the earliest possible recovery of the person who was injured. On behalf of JICA, I would like to offer as much support as possible to all the family members, he added.