Dhaka - Bangladesh has tightened immigration controls for visitors from an African and three Asian countries ahead of the World Cup Cricket later this month, officials said Wednesday.
'We are asked to give extra attention to citizens of Algeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq during the World Cup,' Maniruzzaman, an immigration officer at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, said.
Citizens from Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan and a few other African countries will also be under strong scrutiny, he added.
The World Cup is being hosted jointly by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
The Home Ministry said Bangladesh diplomatic missions aboard were told to toughen the visa approval procedures to avert possible security threats, especially by Islamic militants.
The intelligence agencies have also been directed to increase their surveillance of local extremist groups allegedly lin ked to Pakistan and Afghanistan-based terrorist organisations.
Bangladesh, which is hosting the event for the first time, expects many foreign fans to come to Dhaka and the port city Chittagong where eight matches will be played between February 19 and March 25.
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