DHAKA: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Thursday urged the Bangladesh to seek concrete ways to de-escalate the situation in the country.

He also asked the government to engage the opposition constructively for the long-term stability and development of the country.

UN Secretary General made the urges while holding a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali on the sidelines of the ‘White House Summit to Counter Violent Extremism’ in Washington.

Ban Ki-Moon also expressed his concern regarding the loss of lives and political violence that have occurred in Bangladesh since the beginning of 2015.

He further discussed cooperation between the UN and Bangladesh Government, thanking Bangladesh for its contributions to the work of the United Nations, in particular to peacekeeping operations.

BDST: 1058 HRS, FEB 20, 2015