Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen
Rohingya repatriation: Dhaka detects 'lack of goodwill' in Myanmar's list
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said Myanmar needs to be "more sensitive" in making verified list of Rohingyas for repatriation noting that the list of 700 Rohingyas looks flawed.
Bangladesh urged Myanmar to make the list without breaking any family or village because the Rohingyas will not feel encouraged to return to Rakhine if their families or villages are broken.
Read:US announcement on Rohingya Genocide: Dhaka hopes it helps repatriation
While talking to reporters at his office, Dr Momen said the list (700 people) given by the Myanmar is being scrutinised as Dhaka sees lack of goodwill in preparing the list.
Asked about the tripartite effects - Bangladesh, Myanmar and China - to expedite the Rohingya repatriation, the Foreign Minister said the effects are still ongoing.
Sanctions on RAB: Dhaka shares concerns with Washington over possible emergence of radical elements
Bangladesh has said Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is facing difficulties in conducting its operations due to US-imposed sanctions and this might encourage radical elements in the country and make the law-and-order situation worse and create regional instability.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen expressed this concern as US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland met him at his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Sunday.
He strongly urged the US government to reconsider the sanctions.
Read:'Economic Framework' of IPS to be released soon; draft on GSOMIA passed
The foreign minister depicted the context of the creation of RAB to combat terrorism and serious crimes.
"At that time, the US trained them, and the organisation was being compared with the FBI," he said.
Till now, Bangladesh's success in curbing terrorism and transnational crimes are largely attributed to RAB, Momen added.
He underscored that whenever allegations of human rights violation were received against any law enforcer, due administrative or legal actions were taken.
Nuland expressed the US' willingness to engage with Bangladesh on human rights and labour issues to collectively bring improvements in some areas.
She also proposed that the US can help Bangladesh, like some other development partners, in further reexamining the Digital Security Act.
Momen expressed satisfaction about the successful holding of the Partnership Dialogue, which is the first one after a two-year pause due to the pandemic.
Referring to his upcoming bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 4 in Washington DC on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Momen said the two countries need to have closer relations for the next 50 years.
Nuland hoped that the upcoming meeting between the Bangladesh foreign minister and US secretary of state would be a fruitful one.
She elaborated on her government position on the Ukraine issue.
Momen said Bangladesh always wants peace and underscored that the conflict needs to be resolved through negotiations.
He said peace brings stability, which is important for Bangladesh as "we have a large number of expatriate workers abroad."
Read:Momen urges Qatar to supply more LNG to Bangladesh
In this interdependent world, Momen said, war and conflict would cause a problem for all, including the US, the European Union and the Middle East.
He also recalled that the US is Bangladesh's largest trading partner with $9 billion bilateral trade.
Momen underscored that, the US being the largest investor cumulatively with 20 percent of the FDI flow since Bangladesh's independence, has mainly invested in the energy sector.
He said the US investors may consider enhancing and diversifying its investment portfolio in Bangladesh.
Also, the foreign minister depicted the "excellent investment environment in Bangladesh" and the establishment of special economic zones and high-tech parks.
He especially emphasised the possible US investment in the ICT and pharmaceutical sectors.
This might be a win-win situation if the US invests in ICT, Momen added.
Hadisur’s body kept in Ukraine, 5 youths still in detention centre: FM
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said the body of engineer Md Hadisur Rahman has been preserved in Ukraine and efforts are underway to bring back the body home.
“The body has been kept in a safe place in Ukraine,” he told reporters at a media briefing at state guesthouse Padma on Sunday, adding that it might take time to bring it to Bangladesh.
The Foreign Minister also said 28 crew members of Bangladeshi ship "Banglar Samriddhi" are now in Bucharest, Romania. “They stayed at a hotel there last night.”
Md Hadisur Rahman, 47, third engineer of Banglar Samriddhi, was killed in a rocket attack on the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) vessel stranded at a Ukraine port.
The 28 other crew members of the ship had safely reached Romania from war-ravaged Ukraine and they will soon return home.
Expressing deep condolences to the near and dear ones of deceased Hadisur Rahman, the Russian Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday said the Russian side "bends every effort" to ensure safe departure of the Bangladeshi ship from the port.
The Command of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, relying on the objective monitoring data, has repeatedly stated that, during the retreat, the Ukrainian nationalists open indiscriminate fire and deliberately capture hostages, use them as a “human shield”, resorting to the well-known terrorists’ tactic, said the Embassy.
The BSC ship was positioned in the inner anchorage of Olvia port (Ukraine), when Hadisur was killed due to a missile attack. "The circumstances of the incident are being established," said the embassy.
Read:Efforts on to ensure safe departure of Bangladeshi ship from Ukrainian port: Russian Embassy
Guterres hopes Bangladesh to continue support to UN peace operations
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has highly praised the role of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the UN Missions and hoped that the country would continue to provide more troops to fulfill UN’s future needs in this regard.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen who met Guterres at the UN headquarters recently, requested the SG to appoint more Bangladeshi nationals at the high-level positions of the UN peace operations, and also in the position of SRSG (Special Representative of Secretary General) in various UN political missions across the world.
The Foreign Minister briefed the SG about the current situation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals and sought UN’s help to repatriate all Rohingyas to Myanmar.
Read:Withdrawal of sanctions: Momen seeks support of US lawmakers
The Secretary General highly appreciated Bangladesh’s generosity for sheltering 1.1 millions Rohingyas and reiterated UN’s support for returning the forcibly displaced Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar.
The SG also applauded Bangladesh’s extraordinary socio-economic development under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and hoped that Bangladesh would continue to achieve more successes in the coming years, particularity in attaining the SDGs, said the Bangladesh Mission at the UN.
The Foreign Minister also requested the SG to appoint more Bangladeshi nationals at the high-level positions of the UN peace operations, and also in the position of SRSG (Special Representative of Secretary General) in various UN political Mission across the world.
Dr Momen thanked Guterres for meeting him despite his busy schedule due to current Ukraine crisis.
Earlier, the Foreign Minister held a meeting with Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, the newly appointed Special Envoy of the Secretary General on Myanmar, who is currently visiting New York.
During the meeting, Foreign Minister requested Heyzer to engage with all stakeholders including the regional countries to find a durable solution to the Rohingya crisis, particularly by creating a conducive environment in Rakhine state so that the Rohingyas can return to their homes in safety, security and dignity.
He briefed the special envoy on the steps taken by the Bangladesh government to prevent spread of COVID in Rohingya camps, to provide Myanmar-curriculum-based education to Rohingya children in the camps, among others.
He also referred to the new accommodation facility in Bhashan char for 100,000 Rohingya and informed Heyzer that the Rohingya relocated there will have the opportunity to engage in livelihood activities.
Read:Dhaka, Riyadh "dynamic partnership" to reach new height under inspired leadership: Saudi envoy
The Foreign Minister said, in the absence of any hope for return to their homeland, the Rohingyas increasingly have been getting involved in illicit and criminal activities.
He invited Heyzer to visit Cox's Bazar camps and Bhashan char at her earliest convenience.
The Special Envoy expressed her deepest gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for providing shelter to the Rohingya when they fled Myanmar in 2017 and commended her for her compassion and leadership.
She assured that the Rohingya issue will remain high on her agenda and she would remain deeply engaged with all relevant stakeholders - the regional countries and other international actors, Rohingya leaders and the authorities in Myanmar to find a sustainable solution to this crisis as soon as possible.
Charge d' Affaires, of the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN Md. Monwar Hossain was present during the meetings.
Withdrawal of sanctions: Momen seeks support of US lawmakers
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has reiterated the government's willingness to work closely with the US to find ways to waive sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and its officials on a priority basis and sought the US Congress' support.
From February 23 to March 2, Dr Momen paid a visit to New York to attend official meetings at the United Nations.
Read: Sanctions: Bangladesh close to a decision on how it’ll proceed on legal front
During this visit, he held meetings with Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) on February 28 and with Congressman James P McGovern (D-MA), the co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, on March 1.
Due to Covid-related protocols, both meetings took place on a virtual platform.
Expressing concern about the recent US sanctions on RAB and its seven current and former senior officials, Dr Momen informed the US lawmakers that Bangladesh had always shown its readiness to deal with specific allegations against RAB members.
He mentioned that RAB has emerged as the most efficient law enforcement agency in Bangladesh over the years, and has been at the forefront of combating terrorism, violent extremism, drug and human trafficking, and other transnational crimes.
Dr Momen acknowledged the strong US humanitarian and political support to Bangladesh in dealing with the Rohingya crisis and sending Covid vaccines.
Also, he requested the US lawmakers to persuade Myanmar in all possible ways to create a safe and secure environment in Rakhine State and take back all the forcibly displaced Rohingya people, temporarily staying in Bangladesh, to their homeland in Myanmar.
The US lawmakers commended Bangladesh's generosity in hosting this huge number of Rohingyas and said that they would continue their efforts in this regard.
Also, the foreign minister briefed the US lawmakers about the impressive socio-economic development that has taken place in Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Read: Don’t believe wholesale sanctions on Bangladesh warranted: Congressman Meeks
The lawmakers highly appreciated Bangladesh's tremendous development, said the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington.
Dr Momen underscored the importance of further expanding the trade and investment relations between Bangladesh and the US, and deepening the excellent partnership in the coming days.
He invited both lawmakers to visit Bangladesh, along with congressional delegations, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Bangladesh shares updated info on continental shelf in Bay with UN
Bangladesh has presented updated information on the country's continental shelf in the Bay of Bengal to the United Nations (UN).
“This submission is a major achievement for our country, especially at a time when we are pursuing our long-cherished dream to become a developed country by 2041," said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen while presenting the updated information.
He said Bangladesh’s ability to utilize the living and non-living resources of the ocean will determine the course of its journey in the coming days.
Dr Momen made the presentation to the 21-member Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) during its 54th session in New York on Tuesday.
He was accompanied by Rear Admiral Md. Khurshed Alam, Secretary and Head of Maritime Affairs Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other technical experts from Bangladesh.
Through the presentation, Bangladesh provided scientific and technical data in support of its entitlement to continental shelf beyond 200 nautical milesin the Bay of Bengal.
As per rule, a sub-commission formed for this purpose will examine the data and make recommendations endorsing Bangladesh’s entitlement.
China offers not only ‘basket of money’ but also “affordable” proposals: FM
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said China has come forward with a “basket of money” along with “aggressive and affordable” proposals amid Bangladesh’s growing infrastructure needs when help from many countries is “declining”.
However, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar laid emphasis on making an “informed decision” and cited the problems that they have seen in some countries in the region.
The Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh and India came up with their own views during a panel discussion titled "A Sea Change: Regional Order and Security in the Indo-Pacific" on the second day (Saturday) of the Munich Security Conference 2022.
While asking a question, Dr Momen said Bangladesh is doing “pretty well” in terms of economic development and since Bangladesh is doing pretty well, the aspirations of common people have also gone up.
Read:Bangladesh, US can work together to showcase effective climate actions: FM
“They want more facilities and more opportunities for their better life and there’s a demand for more infrastructure facilities in the country. But we don’t have money. Neither do we've technology,” said the Foreign Minister.
He said they need to have further development to face this public demand while help from many countries is declining.
Dr Momen thanked Japan saying they are one of the best friends and the country is investing in Bangladesh’s infrastructure.
He also thanked India with remarks that the country has been giving line of credit to Bangladesh for various projects.
Dr Momen said the development process is going on in Bangladesh in line with people’s demand for more infrastructure development.
“And there we need a completion. We need more funding from our development partners,” he said, adding that unfortunately they come with a lot of strings making things very difficult.
The Foreign Minister said till today Bangladesh borrowed maximum loans from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Responding to Dr Momen’s question, his Indian counterpart Dr Jaishankar said international relations is “competitive” and every country will look for opportunities and see what it can do.
Read:Election Bangladesh's internal matter: Doraiswami
“But while doing so, it’s in their own interest to be prudent and do due diligence about what they are getting into…we’ve seen now countries, including in our region, being saddled with large debts, we’ve seen projects which are commercially unsustainable, airports where aircraft doesn’t come, harbours where ship doesn’t come. I think people would be justified and ask themselves what I am getting into,” said the Indian External Affairs Minister.
He said it is in the interest of the country concerned and also in the interest of the international community because unsustainable projects do not end there. “There’re real concerns over there.”
“I think it’s very important that all of us make an informed decision but of course a very competitive decision,” said Dr Jaishankar.
The 58th Munich Security Conference (MSC) is scheduled to end today (Feb 18-20) at its usual venue in Munich, the Hotel Bayerischer Hof.
FM for well-calibrated action agenda for tourism sector
A well-calibrated action agenda for the tourism sector can serve as a great tool to diversify not only the foreign currency earning capability but also the productive capability of the country’s economy, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said.
"I believe that we can twin tourism with the tenets of solid economic relocation for innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives from around the globe to Bangladesh," he said.
The Foreign Minister highlighted the country’s sustainable economic diversification and promoted the distinct Bangladeshi tea brand in Dubai, UAE while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Explore Mujib’s Bangladesh: A Hidden Gem of Tourism in South Asia” held at the Bangladesh Pavilion of EXPO 2020 Dubai on Saturday.
The seminar was arranged by Bangladesh Tourism Board, an organization which is responsible for ameliorating tourism of Bangladesh, under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.
Dr Momen mentioned the importance of transforming tourism’s immense potential into a unique brand of the country’s enchanting natural beauty that has been unexplored and unknown by global tourists.
Read:Dhaka, Tokyo to work together to build prosperous future for all: FM
The Foreign Minister focused on the environment friendly tourism industry so that it becomes sustainable one.
Stating from a report of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Dr Momen said only 3 percent of total tourists visits Bangladesh per year are foreigners and rest 97 percent is from local origin.
Addressing as a special guest in the seminar, Md. Mokammel Hossain, Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, opined that successful implementation of ongoing mega projects will bring new doorway to the tourism sector of the country.
He also revealed the plan of constructing exclusive tourism, ocean tourism, theme park etc to attract foreign tourists to our country.
Read: FM to visit UAE from Feb 10-13 to attend series of events
Mashfee Binte Shams, Secretary (East) of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Abu Zafar, Ambassador of Bangladesh to UAE, among others, were present.
Dhaka appreciates Genocide Watch’s statement
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has thanked Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Genocide Watch for their statements on ‘Bangladesh’s Genocide Day’.
Dr Momen said their statements will contribute towards accelerating the pace as well as the spirit of efforts for achieving global recognition of 25 March as the ‘Bangladesh’s Genocide Day.’Genocide Watch recently issued a declaration in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Bangladesh Genocide perpetrated against Bangladesh and its people by Pakistani Army. "[The] people of Bangladesh find solace in your words of empathy who were subject to widespread and systematic crimes by the Pakistani forces and their local allies during our great war of Independence in 1971," said Dr Momen in a letter sent to Dr. Gregory H. Stanton, Founding President of Genocide Watch. Following a unanimous decision adopted by Bangladesh Parliament on 11 March 2017, the people of Bangladesh have been observing 25 March as ‘Genocide Day’. "We also establish “Genocide corner” in our Ministry. The Parliament tasked the government to secure international recognition in favor of Bangladesh’s Genocide Day," Dr Momen said.
Read: As decade of development looms, Port City leaders ask for suffering to be 'tolerable' In a separate letter, the Foreign Minister said the statement by Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention will contribute in accelerating the pace as well as spirit of their efforts for achieving global recognition of 25 March as the ‘Bangladesh’s Genocide Day.’"I write to thank you for the Statement issued by the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention on the Bangladesh Genocide of 1971 perpetrated against Bangladeshi people by Pakistani Army," said Dr Momen in his letter to Elisa von Joeden-Forgey and Irene Victoria Massimino, Co-Founders and Co-Presidents of Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention.The Foreign Minister wished them good health, happiness, and continued success.
Dhaka smells more ‘assaults’, wants to counter propaganda abroad with facts
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Saturday urged the patriotic citizens abroad to put in their stronger efforts to counter conspiracies against the country’s interest, noting that there might be more “assaults” on the country and its interests based on propaganda and disinformation.
“It seems to me there might be various types of assaults and conspiracies against us in the next two years,” he said urging the activists of Bangabandhu Foundation abroad to take a stronger position against such attempts centering the next national elections.
The Foreign Minister, also the President of the Bangabandhu Foundation, said each Bangladesh Mission abroad that runs with the country’s taxpayers’ money is the number one lobbyist of the country to uphold Bangladesh’s interests.
Also read:Sheikh Selim slams US for sanctions on RAB
He hoped that the people associated with the Bangabandhu Foundation abroad will help the missions abroad with the information regarding any attempt of conspiracies against the country as in some cases missions may not get access to such information instantly.
Dr Momen was addressing a virtual discussion titled “Lobbying conspiracy that started centering the 12th parliamentary election and steps that Bangabandhu Foundation can take” as the chief guest.
Pointing finger at conspirators, the Foreign Minister said the country’s interest and people’s welfare should be the priority if anyone wants to get involved in politics.
Referring to the letter written by Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Ivan Stefanec to High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Dr Momen said, “When I was reading the letter, I felt that I was reading about another country as the letter’s content doesn’t go with the situation of the country.”
He said there is a possibility that the opposition parties might engage more such people to write against Bangladesh.
Also read: No impact on European business interest in Bangladesh, says EU envoy about sanctions
The Foreign Minister said the Awami League has continued its efforts to make the election process transparent which needs to be highlighted.
“We’re lucky that we’ve got a transparent, very committed, firm and very strong leadership, and we hope under her leadership we’ll build Bangabandhu’s Sonar Bangla,” he said.
Central AL leader and Bangabandhu Foundation General Secretary Md. Nazrul Islam Thandu, Foundation’s Executive President Adv Moshiur Malek, Rashida Hoque Konica and Engineer M Shakil Khan also spoke at the event.