State Minister for Foreign Affairs
Kuwaiti envoy urged to explore investment opportunities in Bangladesh
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam has urged newly appointed Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Bangladesh Faisal Mutlaq Al Adwani to visit Bangladesh's IT parks, economic zones and look for investment opportunities.
He then highlighted some recent transformations that have taken place in Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the socio-economic sectors including the construction of the Padma Bridge, the Karnaphuli tunnel, metro-rail and expressways.
The ambassador had a courtesy meeting with the State Minister for Foreign Minister at his office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.
Also read: Our priority is to ensure food security, PM tells outgoing Vatican envoy
The State Minister expressed happiness at the excellent bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Kuwait in the political, economic, defence, manpower and in the trade fields.
He urged the ambassador to draw initiatives to strengthen the relationship by exploring new and emerging areas of collaboration including energy and health sectors.
Upon enquiry of the Ambassador on the Rohingya issue, the State Minister apprised him of the current state of the problem and sought Kuwaiti government’s political and economic support for solving the Rohingya crisis.
The Ambassador commended Bangladesh government’s quest for development and peace in its strides for economic emancipation and appreciated the capable and courageous leadership of the Prime Minister.
Also read: Sri Lanka ready to welcome Bangladeshi tourists, others: Envoy
Earlier, the ambassador met Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen in his office where they had discussed and exchanged views on bilateral issues of mutual interests.
We unmasked some people through Bachelet’s visit: Shahriar
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam on Tuesday said the government had unmasked some people including a section of civil society and their political intentions through the recent visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.
“We believe in engagement. We are committed and we have enough goodwill (to look into human rights issues). We could prove it,” he told the reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noting that it is very “low and mean” as some people sought her intervention in terms of election.
The State Minister said those people who are spreading misinformation and sought UN rights chief’s intervention during her visit are actually helping the anti-Awami League political platform (BNP-Jamaat). “It’s an evil effort to malign the government.”
He said the BNP and Jamaat with their people at home and abroad have continuously been spreading misinformation.
The state minister expressed his surprise as some people raised some issues which go beyond the UN human rights chief’s mandate and said those people do not have adequate knowledge on how the UN system operates.
Shahriar said Bachelet made it clear during her meeting with a section of civil society that it is not within her mandate to address the demands related to the next national election in Bangladesh.
He described such effort “objectionable” and it is not a healthy practice at all.
Read:Bachelet raised no concern over country’s human rights condition: Anisul Haque
Shahriar said the UN human rights chief understood where these people came from and what their intention was.
He, however, said the government has a great respect for the civil society for their role in various areas while a section of it has a political intention.
Shahriar said the so-called opposition parties have a big “misperception and misconception” that their many demands will be met once they raise the issues with the UN human rights chief. “They live in a fool's paradise.”
The UN hss given a a list of 76 people who allegedly got disappeared.
Of them, the government traced 10 and submitted a report to the UN.
Of the remaining 66, there are many notorious criminals and such criminals generally go into hiding to evade the trial process, Shahriar said.
The government will continue its efforts to trace those people, he said.
The State Minister said Bachelet did not meet the opposition leaders but engaged her colleague to talk to them.
The government of Bangladesh invited the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
She hoped her visit would build on the government’s engagement with the UN’s human rights mechanisms and help deepen cooperation with us, furthering the promotion and protection of human rights in Bangladesh.
In Dhaka, she met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and ministers - foreign affairs, home affairs, law, and education - and other officials.
For all the significant human rights challenges ahead – economic, climate-related, political, social and humanitarian – she was convinced that if the powerful resources within the whole society are harnessed, and policies and responses are crafted with the participation of many diverse voices, Bangladesh will continue to shine brighter in its remarkable development journey.
Things still under discussion, says Shahriar about Chinese FM’s visit
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Tuesday said things are still under discussion regarding Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's proposed visit to Bangladesh, noting that there is nothing specific yet.
“Time, arrival and departure – these are not yet confirmed,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding that both the visit and its agenda are still under discussion.
Responding to a question, Shahriar said he was not saying that the visit is not taking place. “I am just saying all relevant things related to the visit are not finalized yet.”
The State Minister said he does not want to shed any doubt but there is nothing to say in detail about the visit yet. “You will get to know,” said, adding that things will be cleared within the next 48 hours.
Shahriar also suggested not to bring any third country in discussion between two countries bilateral discussion. “Please do not bring any third country in a bilateral context and discussion.”
Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen is expected to return home on August 6 evening after attending the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting on August 5-6 in Cambodia.
Read:Make world free from threat of nuclear weapons: Dhaka
Earlier on Sunday, foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen said the Chinese Foreign Minister’s visit to Bangladesh is part of their "regular contacts."
"It can't be said (there's) urgency (from the Chinese side). Since he will be visiting this region, he expressed desire to come here if we can give time. We are looking into the timings," he said when a reporter wanted to know why there was so much urgency from the Chinese side.
In January 2017, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi had an hour-long stopover in Dhaka. "This time, he will be coming for a longer period," said the foreign secretary.
Talking to a small group of reporters at his office on Sunday, the foreign secretary said the two countries will discuss ways to strengthen the relations during the visit.
He said the Rohingya issue might also come up for discussion as the Chinese foreign minister was part of trilateral meetings in the past on Rohingya repatriation.
Responding to a question, the foreign secretary said there are four-five MoUs in the pipeline which are yet to be finalised.
The Chinese foreign minister is likely to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apart from a bilateral meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart Momen to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming met Momen recently at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and discussed various issues of mutual interest including the proposed visit of the Chinese foreign minister.
Bangladesh eagerly waiting to welcome UN rights chief Bachelet: Shahriar
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Tuesday said the government is eagerly waiting to welcome UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet which will give her an opportunity to see the progress and challenges in Bangladesh on the rights front.
“We are eagerly waiting for that visit. She will see the progress and will be able to know about the challenges,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.
Her four-day visit at the invitation of the government of Bangladesh is scheduled to begin on August 14.
Bachelet, who assumed her functions as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2018, will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Law Minister Anisul Huq.
Read:US lauds Bangladesh’s response to Covid-19
“They (PM Hasina and Bachelet) are very good friends,” said the State Minister, adding that they have experiences in working together.
Bachelet will be holding meetings with the UN representatives and civil society groups and will be visiting Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar.
She will also try to understand how climate change is affecting the human rights situation in Bangladesh.
Bachelet was elected President of Chile on two occasions (2006 – 2010 and 2014 – 2018). She was the first female president of Chile.
She has recently indicated that she would not seek a second term for personal reasons as her term as High Commissioner draws to a close.
Govt probing allegation against diplomat Kazi Anarkoly: Shahriar
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has said the government will thoroughly investigate the illegal drug-related allegation against Kazi Anarkoly, Deputy Chief of Mission of Bangladesh in Jakarta, Indonesia.
“The entire issue is unfortunate and embarrassing for us. We are investigating it,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, noting that it will be revealed through investigation whether she herself was involved in it or her friend.
The State Minister said they came to know that there was another foreign national at the apartment.
Read:US lauds Bangladesh’s response to Covid-19
“I can assure you that there will be a full-fledged investigation into it and it will move to the right direction,” he said, adding that steps will be taken against her as per the law if the allegation brought against her is found to be true after the investigation.
Shahriar said the diplomat has already been called back and thanked the Indonesian government for cooperating with the Bangladesh government in getting the diplomat back to Dhaka.
He said the government will never compromise with the high standard of the foreign cadres.
There is an allegation that the Indonesian authorities found cannabis, also known as marijuana, at her residence last month where a Nigerian national used to live, too.
Ambassador Hussain lauds religious freedom, harmony in Bangladesh
US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain on Wednesday appreciated religious harmony and freedom in Bangladesh, saying that those who are trying to divide them and create complexities must be stopped.
“We’re very encouraged to see people from different faith groups are living together peacefully. We want to see religious freedom everywhere in the world,” he said.
Indian-American Hussain made the remarks while talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after his meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam.
Also read:US to stand by persecuted minorities worldwide: Ambassador-at-Large
Referring to the vast majority of people who are living together peacefully, he said, “We must continue to live together peacefully.”
The state minister briefed Hussain that everyone in Bangladesh enjoys equal rights and they do not call anybody a religious minority rather treat them as equal citizens.
He shared some incidents including attacks on the Buddhist community in Ramu upazila of Cox's Bazar and attacks carried out on different temples in Cumilla and cited how social media can sometimes play a negative role as fake Facebook IDs are used to instigate.
“We’ve discussed these issues very frankly,” said Shahriar, adding that it is a challenging issue globally.
The two sides also discussed the Rohingya issue focusing on the accountability front.
The Gambia, backed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), opened the case against Myanmar at the ICJ in November 2019 for failing to prevent the genocide against Rohingyas.
Hussain, who also visited Rohingya camps, highlighted “unimaginable” sufferings of the Rohingyas had gone through in Rakhine State and talked about creating more opportunities for them through education, training and economic activities.
The US envoy arrived here on Sunday on a four-day visit and held a series of meetings with Bangladesh officials on relevant issues.
Hussain serves as principal advisor to the Secretary and advisor to the President on religious freedom conditions and policy, according to the US Department of State.
He leads the Department’s efforts to monitor religious freedom abuses, persecution, and discrimination worldwide.
He also oversees policies and programs to address these concerns and works to build diverse and dynamic partnerships with the broadest range of civil society, with equitable and meaningful inclusion of faith actors globally.
Also read:US religious freedom ambassador Hussain to arrive in Dhaka Sunday
During his first day, Hussain engaged with students and faculty members of the Department of World Religions and Culture, University of Dhaka.
During the session, the ambassador emphasized the important role young people play in advancing religious freedom and human rights in Bangladesh and around the world.
At Dhaka University, the ambassador also visited the banyan tree Senator Edward M. Kennedy planted at the university in 1972.
At the end of the day, the ambassador participated in an iftar with 19 Bangladeshi US government Exchange Alumni held at the EMK Center.
Ambassador Hussain recognized the extraordinary contributions of alumni in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in Bangladesh through innovative community-led initiatives and grassroots campaigns.
Transport connectivity master plan likely to be adopted in 5th BIMSTEC Summit: Shahriar
The 5th BIMSTEC Summit, scheduled to be held on March 30, is likely to adopt the long-awaited BIMSTEC transport connectivity master plan, says State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam.
This plan, he said, will put new impetus in implementation of multi-modal connectivity projects involving the member states towards regional integration in the Bay of Bengal region.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the momentum, the 5th BIMSTEC Summit will be held this month after four years since the 4th BIMSTEC Summit held in 2018. This summit will be hosted by current chair Sri Lanka.
The 5th BIMSTEC Summit will be an opportunity to review and reflect what had worked and what did not, said the State Minister.
“It will be an opportunity to refresh and renew their commitment to strengthen the BIMSTEC Process in all respects,” he said.
Also read: Shahriar meets Lekhi in Delhi
At the impending BIMSTEC Summit, Alam said, a substantive number of issues are expected to be high on the agenda of the leaders for their consideration and adoption.
Around 200 Bangladesh citizens reach Poland, Romania from Ukraine: Shahriar
Approximately 200 Bangladesh citizens have so far entered Poland and Romania from Ukraine, said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Saturday night.
“We’re in touch with approximately 700 Bangladesh citizens,” he told UNB.
The government’s efforts are going on to help Bangladesh nationals get into Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova, all bordering Ukraine, said officials.
Also read: Flight carrying over 200 Indians from Ukraine lands in Mumbai
A team from the Embassy of Bangladesh in Warsaw is working near the Poland-Ukraine border to assist Bangladeshi citizens wishing to enter Poland. The two countries share an over 500 km long border.
Earlier, Bangladesh asked its nationals stranded in Ukraine to contact the country's diplomatic missions in the neighbouring European countries while Poland and Romania came forward to provide temporary shelters for Bangladeshis.
Shimla dialogue: Dhaka reiterates firm commitment to ensuring regional peace
Highlighting growing friendship between Bangladesh and India, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Friday reiterated the unwavering commitment of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government to ensurimg peace and stability in the region and beyond.
"Guided by the principles of Bangabandhu, Bangladesh believes in peace and stability, so that every country may devote its resources and energies to the pressing task of advancing the welfare of its own people," he said.
The State Minister said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman laid a strong foundation of Bangladesh-India relationship based on respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and democratic norms and values.
Read:Kosovo says its excellent relation with Bangladesh a model
Dhaka rules out any pressure from Washington
Bangladesh has ruled out any pressure from the US but sees greater engagements and high-level exchange of visits between the two countries in the coming months giving an indication of the upward trend in relations.
“Not at all, absolutely not at all,” State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam told reporters when he was asked to respond whether the government is under pressure from the US on various issues.
When his attention was drawn about media reports on the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs suggesting US’ pressure, he also ruled it saying no such remarks (US is exerting pressure on Bangladesh) were made by any member of the committee.
Read:Bangladesh, Mauritius highlight collaboration on pharmaceutical, tourism, IT sectors
“Any conversation at the parliamentary standing committee is highly classified and confidential,” the State Minister said, adding that there is no scope that this conversation will go beyond the committee.
He said the bilateral talks between the two countries through a number of platforms including “Partnership Dialogue” will begin next month.
Apart from that, Shahriar said, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has been invited by his US counterpart Antony Blinken to pay a visit to the USA.
The United States recognised Bangladesh on April 4, 1972, in a press statement from Secretary of State William Rogers.
Asked about the invitation of Blinken to Foreign Minister Dr Momen and visit of US Ambassador-designate to Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, Ambassador M Shahidul Islam told UNB that both Bangladesh and the USA are working together to further advance the bilateral relations.
“I think these engagements show that the US is also keen to further strengthen the existing friendly ties,” said the Bangladesh envoy.
The State Minister for Foreign Affairs said they have nothing to say afresh on the sanction issue as he thinks much has been talked about it. “We remain bilaterally engaged with the US.”
He said the discussions and high-level visits in March and April together will create an environment of more friendly relations between the two countries.
The State Minister said the government is looking forward to taking legal aspects into consideration for withdrawal of the sanctions apart from making sure that there will be no expansion of sanctions.
Bangladesh Embassy in Washington and other Bangladesh missions in the United States have further geared up their activities to further strengthen the bilateral relations and cooperation as well as to withdraw sanctions on the current and former RAB officials, sources said.
While visiting the Bangladesh mission in Washington DC on Friday, the US Ambassador-designate to Bangladesh Peter D. Haas said that he looks forward to working together with Dhaka to move "forward and continue" the relationship between the two countries.
Hass, who is expected to arrive in Dhaka in early March, also said they want to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties all year long and try to find the opportunities and recognize the tremendous progress that Bangladesh made in the past 50 years.
Read:Bangladeshis in Ukraine may consider leaving Ukraine: Officials
Bangladesh and the United States plan to hold the next round of “partnership dialogue” in March as the two sides seek to have a “deeper engagement” on core issues of mutual interest, officials say.
Issues related to cooperation on development, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, governance, particularly human rights, security, counterterrorism; and cooperation on Covid-19 front are likely to be reviewed and discussed in the partnership dialogue.
US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Ambassador Victoria Nuland will arrive here to co-chair the partnership dialogue with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.