The government on Sunday briefed the diplomats stationed in Dhaka on recent issues and elaborated the procedure of the Election Commission formation and the current dialogue of the President with different political parties.

“We’re pledge-bound to uphold our Constitutional obligation,” said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen reiterating the government's commitment during the first diplomatic briefing of the year.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was arranged to exchange New Year’s greetings with the diplomatic community.

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Law Minister Anisul Huq, MP, LGRD Minister Md. Tajul Islam, MP, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam MP and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen were present during the briefing held at Foreign Service Academy.

“Last year was a year of recovery and hope,” Dr. Momen said.

With the twin celebrations of the Birth Centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of the country’s Independence, the year had a special significance for Bangladesh, the Foreign Minister added.

Focusing on the spectacular achievements of the country in the areas of poverty alleviation, socio-economic development, infrastructure development and digitalisation, Dr Momen also highlighted government’s successful management of the onslaughts of the pandemic and different incentives and packages announced to address its negative impact.

Despite the pandemic, he said, Bangladesh managed a growth rate of 5.4 percent last year.

Dr Momen briefly touched on the ongoing local government elections.

This is the first time the country’s elected UP chairmen from the third gender, the Foreign Minister mentioned.

“This indicates that the glass ceilings have started cracking down,” he added.

Dr Momen reaffirmed the government’s firm conviction for the development and protection of the rights of people through their empowerment.

The LGRD Minister briefed the diplomats about different phases and results of the ongoing local government elections. A large number of independent candidates were elected during these elections, he mentioned.

The Law Minister, in his remarks, elaborated the procedure of the Election Commission formation and the current dialogue of the President with different political parties.

On the Digital Security Act, he mentioned about the Government’s engagement with the relevant UN Offices to understand best practices in this regard.

He expressed the government’s readiness to address any misuse or abuse of the Act.

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The Law Minister also talked about ongoing initiatives towards labour sector reform, including through a time-bound approach.

The ministers clarified the issue of “uncontested elections” which takes place in other countries including in the developed parts of the world.

Thanking the trading partners of the country, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs spoke on the initiatives of the government to create an investor-friendly environment in the country.

Around 40 diplomats joined the briefing. It was followed by an interactive session in which questions on LDC graduation, business and investment and Rohingya repatriation, among other issues, were discussed.

Talking to UNB, one of the diplomats who attended the briefing said the members of the diplomatic community appreciated the initiative of the MoFA to update them on a number of recent issues including on the political front.

The diplomat also termed the briefing "very festive."