Bangladesh has said it is concerned about recent developments in Venezuela following a US military operation that led to the capture of the country’s President Nicolas Maduro. In a statement issued on Monday (January 5), the foreign ministry said Dhaka was “watching the situation with concern” and reiterated its position that disputes between states should be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

“Bangladesh believes that diplomacy and dialogue should prevail to resolve disputes between countries and reaffirms her steadfast commitment to the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law,” the ministry said.

The statement comes after US forces detained President Maduro during a military raid in the Venezuelan capital Caracas over the weekend. He was due to appear before a federal court in New York on Monday on charges linked to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism, Reuters reports.

US President Donald Trump has described the operation as a law-enforcement action, but said other factors were involved, including illegal immigration and Venezuela’s past nationalization of US oil interests. He warned that further military action could follow if Venezuela does not cooperate with US demands to open its oil industry and curb drug trafficking.

The detention of Maduro has drawn international concern and raised questions about the legality of seizing a sitting foreign head of state. The UN Security Council is due to meet to discuss the US action, which UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described as a “dangerous precedent”.

Despite Maduro’s capture, his government remains in power in Caracas. Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez has assumed the role of interim leader and has rejected US claims that she is willing to cooperate with Washington.

Maduro, 63, has denied the charges against him, which were first filed in 2020 and accuse him of supporting major drug trafficking groups. US prosecutors say the allegations were updated over the weekend to include his wife Cilia Flores.