Referring to the killing of a Bangladeshi in the US, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Friday said Bangladesh does not want any hate crime anywhere in the world. “The Bangladeshi community there (US) are alleging it to be a hate crime,” Momen told reporters about the death of a Bangladeshi expatriate after being shot by the police at Cambridge in Massachusetts of the US on Thursday. Read more: The recommendations some foreigners at times give seem to be “idiotic”: Momen Earlier, he inaugurated the three-day "Peace Run Bangladesh" by lighting the peace torch at the Suhrawardy Udyan premises in the capital on Friday. “We want to stop racism, communal violence and establish peace in the world,” Momen said. Regarding the Bangladesh visit of US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, Momen said it is very good news that he is coming. "He is like a policymaker in this area. We welcome him.” Donald Lu became Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs on September 15, 2021. “We’ve a very good relationship with the US. We have multifaceted engagements with the US. There will be talks on different issues when he (Donald Lu) comes.” He also hoped Donald Lu’s visit will help strengthen the good relationship between the two countries. Read more: Govt to honour expats through National Expatriate Day: Momen Replying to a question from the reporters on the US sanctions on Rab, the minister said bilateral relation is not determined by a single issue. “The US is our biggest consumer and our biggest investor. With engagements on many areas, we don't have to worry about just one issue. We both have common values and principles.” He said the US wants a democratic system and Bangladesh also wants a democratic system. “The US wants to uphold human rights. We want, too. Three million people of Bangladesh have sacrificed their lives for human rights, justice and democracy,” he added. “We will talk about many things. It is open. Many issues will be discussed," he said.

Foreign Minister  AK Abdul Momen has reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to ensuring that over 75 million autistic people in the world can make the most of their talents and participate fully in the societies. Momen was delivering his opening remarks at a virtual event on World Autism Awareness Day 2022 organized by the Permanent Missions of Bangladesh and the State of Qatar to the United Nations in New York, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and Autism Speaks on Thursday.  Also read:No need for volunteers from Bangladesh to join Russian special military operation: Embassy He shared good practices from Bangladesh in supporting children with autism and their families during the pandemic, including through targeted support measures and use of ICTs.  In this context, he said during Covid-19, the children with autism and their families suffered disproportionately due to disruptions in their education and therapeutic services.  However, the existing social support system, strong ICT infrastructure and robust community-based health services in Bangladesh helped many families cope up with the challenges. Referring to the increased awareness on autism in Bangladesh, the foreign minister said various stakeholders, ministries and departments have worked together to mitigate the challenges and stigma faced by the persons with autism. He mentioned various initiatives undertaken by the current government such as ‘Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act 2013’ and ‘Neuro-development Trust Act 2013’, etc.  “Our government has been promoting a ‘culture of innovation’ to take advantage of the assistive tools and technologies. Digital Bangladesh initiative has opened a new era in extending disability inclusive e-service, webs and other ICT-based services”, the Foreign Minister  added.