A group of diplomats including US ambassador Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat expressed their opinions that the ongoing violence in Bangladesh should be stopped immediately.

Amid issuance of arrest warrant against Khaleda Zia, the diplomats including US, EU, Germany and Australian High Commissioner held meetings with Khaleda Zia over two hours, at her Gulshan office on Tuesday evening and left her office around 8:45pm.

The diplomats has laid emphasis on confidence building among political parties to de-escalate the country’s political conflicts.

Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Greg Wilcock briefed the journalists after their meeting with the BNP chief.

The envoy said, "We encouraged confidence-building measures -- including the de-escalation of Bangladesh’s political conflict -- in favour of fostering safety, stability, growth, human rights and democracy in Bangladesh".

The diplomats entered Khaleda’s office at about 6:30pm.

Khaleda Zia’s special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas welcomed the guests.

Later, BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan took them to an upstairs room where Khaleda Zia has been staying since January 3

Earlier, a delegation of European Parliament and envoys of United Kingdom and Turkey met the BNP chief during the political unrest.

LY/RI