Japan’s Fast Retailing Co, owner of the Uniqlo casual-wear brand, said it plans to suspend all business travel to Bangladesh after militants targeting foreigners killed 20 people in the country’s capital on Saturday, including seven Japanese, reports bdnews24.com.
A Fast Retailing spokesperson said the company had told its 10 Japanese staff based in Bangladesh to stay home until further notice.
Bangladesh relies on garments for around 80 percent of its exports and for about 4 million jobs, and ranks behind only China as a supplier of clothes to developed markets like Europe and the United States.
Twenty-two innocent lives including nationals from both local and foreign countries were lost in the attack at Holey Artisan Bakery last Friday. Among the deceased Seven gunmen barged into the café-restaurant around 8:30pm carrying firearms, bombs and swords and took all the customers hostages. After a 12-hour holdup, army-led joint forces managed to rescue thirteen of them, killing six of the gunmen and taking one into custody.
