Canada to shutter Dhaka mission amid global terror alert

Canada said its mission in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka will be closed on Sunday as a precaution amid global alert on possible terror attacks. Announcing the decision, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development said Saturday that "we take the safety and security of our personnel and our missions overseas seriously." It added that Canada will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate steps, without going into the details of the measures. The Canada move came as Western governments are increasingly worried about an imminent terror strike following a suicide bombing attack on the Indian consulate in Afghan city of Jalalabad on Saturday. On Friday, the U.S. government announced the closure of 21 diplomatic missions starting Sunday and also issued a rare global travel warning for Americans. Canadian media reports said the fact that Ottawa is closing its mission in only one of the countries on the U.S. list is unusual, although the Canada mission in Dhaka is located near the U.S. embassy. On Friday, Foreign Minister John Baird called on Canadian diplomats and travellers to exercise extra caution, saying his office will be monitoring the latest developments over the weekend.