Momen
Dakshin Surma library will enlighten locals: Momen
Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said that the new public library in Dakshin Surma upazila of Sylhet will act as a learning centre that will help enlighten people.
“There is a dearth of libraries in our country. Amid this shortage, Dakshin Surma Public Library will contribute in creating an environment of practicing knowledge in the area,” Momen said at the inauguration ceremony of the library on Friday.
The Minister advised the library authorities to maintain it properly and also preserve the books and documents in digital formats. He also assured of necessary assistance in this regard.
In his address, Momen lauded the initiatives of late Nurul Islam, the library's founder and writer of ‘Probashir Kotha’, who's also known for his role in the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
“Nurul has worked for the development of Sylhet in particular and Bangladesh in general throughout his life. Nurul and late Abul Maal Abdul Muhit had jointly protested the killing of Father of The Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members. Nurul had also worked for solving the problems and meeting the demands of expatriate Bangladeshis,” the Foreign Minister said.
Also read: Dhaka approached Swiss banks about deposit of Bangladeshi money: Momen
The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Nurul Islam’s wife Nargis Islam. His daughter Munzereen Rashid, local MP Habibur Rahman Habib, and Nusrat Laila Nira, upazila nirbahi officer of Dakshin Surma, spoke at the event.
Sylhet City Corporation councillor Azadur Rahman Azad, among others, attended the event.
Dhaka approached Swiss banks about deposit of Bangladeshi money: Momen
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said Bangladesh sought information on the deposits of Bangladeshi money in the Swiss banks but the Swiss side did not respond to the query.
Momen said this after his conversation on the issue with Bangladesh Bank governor Abdur Rouf Talukder and Finance Secretary Fatima Yasmin on Thursday.
The foreign minister said he advised the governor and the finance ministry to come up with the statements as confusion arose following some media reports quoting Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard. He said the ambassador lied by saying that Bangladesh had not sought information.
“Let’s know first from the statements from the governor and the finance ministry,” he said while talking to a small group of reporters at his office.
Also read: Why govt didn't seek info of Bangladesh money in Swiss banks: HC
Momen said it is not true that Bangladesh did not seek information from Switzerland.
The Swiss envoy at the DCAB Talk on Wednesday said any estimate on deposits of Bangladeshi money in the Swiss banks is “purely speculative” and no conclusion can be drawn on the basis of media and other reports.
“Switzerland is not a safe haven for corrupt money,” she said adding “When it comes to the Bangladeshi money deposited in the Swiss banks - the deposits meant by individuals …represent only one aspect of various sources of public and private funds.”
The Swiss envoy said … no conclusion can be drawn on the volumes of private deposits from Bangladeshi customers in Switzerland on the basis of these reports of the Swiss National Bank.
Bangladeshi media outlets reported that funds parked by Bangladeshi nationals and entities in all the Swiss banks swelled by 54 per cent to around CHF (Swiss Franc) 871 million (Tk 83.18 billion) in the last calendar year. The amount was around CHF 563 million in 2020.
Responding to a question on information exchange on the issue, she said Switzerland is really committed to implementing international standards. In accordance with these international standards they can have some specific regulations and agreements also with the country to exchange this type of information, she said.
“So that is something should be developed,” said the ambassador, adding that they have been providing to the government all the information regarding how to reach an agreement on these matters but no request has been submitted regarding any particular funding.
On the statistics, the Swiss envoy said, money of the individuals that is placed, for instance, in Swiss banks - not just in Switzerland but in the Swiss banks worldwide - has recently been decreasing.
Also read: Estimate of Bangladesh money in Swiss Banks is “purely speculative”: Swiss Envoy
She said they certainly do not encourage capital flight and the Swiss bank system is the most renowned and internationally connected system.
At all the financial centers, the envoy said, there is always a risk of abuse but Switzerland really takes steps to mitigate its risk as fast as possible.
Rohingya Repatriation: Momen urges Western leaders to impose economic sanctions on Myanmar
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has urged the Western leaders to impose strong economic sanctions on Myanmar to expedite the Rohingya repatriation efforts.
He also urged the ASEAN leaders to strengthen their ongoing efforts to help create a conducive environment within Myanmar to help the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals return to their homeland.
Momen made the call while speaking at the 29th Meeting of ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) under the theme "ASEAN ACT: Addressing Challenges Together" held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Friday.
He said it is now the fifth year of the Rohingya crisis but not a single forcibly displaced Myanmar national has been repatriated to Myanmar.
The Foreign Minister, who led the Bangladesh delegation to the 29th ARF meeting, said strengthening ongoing efforts to help create an environment within Myanmar will encourage the Rohingyas to return.
Momen raised the issue of the high foreign direct investment (FDI) Myanmar secured despite the genocide it committed and atrocities it did.
Read: Rohingya repatriation: Bangladesh wants more coordinated, proactive support from ASEAN
He also pointed out that after the 2017 Rohingya invasion, even the European Union (EU) countries’ trade and investment increased substantially.
In terms of foreign direct investment, the EU was the 5th largest foreign investor following other Asian countries, Momen said.
He also recalled the history that during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, there was economic sanction on Myanmar and therefore, they repatriated thousands of their nationals in the 1970s and 1990s through dialogue and discussions.
Momen said unless economic sanction is imposed on Myanmar, Myanmar is unlikely to listen to world leadership, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile, he pointed out that delaying the repatriation process may pose a security threat to the entire region and beyond.
He highlighted some key challenges including recurring waves of new variants of Covid -19, global turmoil due to conflict in Europe, climate change, economic recession, and food and commodity crises that can only be adequately and effectively addressed through mutual trust and cooperation underpinned by multilateral arrangements like ARF.
Momen said the Bangladesh government is working relentlessly under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to transform Bangabandhu's vision into a reality.
On Saturday morning, Momen met Foreign Minister of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) Saleumxay Kommasith reviewed the whole gamut of the existing excellent bilateral relations.
During the meeting, he invited Laos to invest in different sectors, particularly in priority sectors in the Economic Zones, agriculture and ICT sectors of Bangladesh.
Momen also proposed the regular exchange of trade delegation and trade related offer in order to create opportunities and potentials for bilateral trade and investment which is essential for both countries.
Read: MPs urge ASEAN to put strong pressure on Myanmar
He urged the Foreign Minister of Lao PDR to play a more proactive role in bringing a sustainable solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis by initiating a speedy, safe and dignified repatriation of the forcibly displaced people back to their motherland Myanmar.
He requested Lao PDR to exert its friendly influence on Myanmar to take its citizens back to Myanmar.
Climate-induced migration poses security risks in Bangladesh and beyond: Momen
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Monday warned that climate-induced migration poses grave security risks that may go beyond national borders.
“We remain sensitized to the fact that climate-induced forced migration can pose serious security risks with spill-over effects beyond national borders,” he said, seeking united and urgent action on climate migration.
Momen was speaking at a policy dialogue on “Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change: Towards a Common Narrative and Action Pathway” held at the Foreign Service Academy.
Also read: Dhaka: Inadequate efforts for climate migrants may lead to global security risk
The event aimed at bringing together all stakeholders for identifying potential avenues for Bangladesh to contribute further to advance the global agenda on climate change-migration nexus in the lead up to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt in November this year.
It was jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Padma Bridge a symbol of pride for developing world: Hun Sen
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the people of Bangladesh for successfully implementing the challenging Padma Bridge project with their own resources.He termed the bridge as a symbol of pride for the developing countries like Cambodia.Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen paid a courtesy call on the Cambodian Prime Minister in Phnom Penh on Friday.They expressed satisfaction at the existing bilateral relations and resolved to further strengthen it in the days ahead.Dr Momen extended an invitation to the Cambodian Prime Minister for a visit to Bangladesh next year on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries.Momen sought the Cambodian leader’s support as the current Chair of ASEAN for expediting the repatriation of the stranded Rohingyas from Bangladesh to their homeland in Myanmar.He also requested Cambodian support in favour of Bangladesh candidacy for Sectoral Dialogue Partnership.The Cambodian leader conveyed his best regards and greetings to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina whom he described as a respected elder sister.Momen and Hun Sen exchanged views on the challenges emanating from the pandemic and the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Both the leaders voiced concerns at the escalating food and energy insecurity affecting people, particularly in the developing world.
They stressed the importance of dialogue and peaceful settlement of issues for maintenance of peace and stability in the world.
Bangladesh-Cambodia bilateral talks were held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Phnom Penh.
Foreign Minister Momen and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn led the respective delegations.
The two Foreign Ministers reviewed the important aspects of the bilateral relations between the two countries.
The two Foreign Ministers reiterated their keenness for further strengthening the existing bilateral relations by adding further substances to it.The two sides discussed, inter alia, the areas of cooperation in trade, commerce, investment, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, food security, manpower, ICT, tourism, cultural exchange etc.Both the sides agreed to make efforts for enhancing the bilateral trade, which is currently much below the potentials, they observed.
They also emphasized on concluding the diverse MoUs under process at the earliest.
Momen recalls Shinzo Abe's role in developing Dhaka-Tokyo comprehensive relations
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had played a very significant role in developing comprehensive relations with Bangladesh.
"We have developed a very warm relationship which helped Japan to come forward in implementing mega projects in Bangladesh," Momen said recalling Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to Japan and a return visit by Abe in Dhaka.
The foreign minister made the remarks after signing the condolence book at the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka.
Read: Japan ex-leader Shinzo Abe assassinated while giving speech
Take measures to alleviate the suffering of Biman passengers
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday urged the authority of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) to take effective measures to alleviate the suffering of the passengers by speeding up luggage handling.
The foreign minister made the remarks on his arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after an official tour from Portugal, a Foreign Ministry press release said.
He said “The expatriate Bangladeshis have been contributing to the country’s economy by their hard-earning remittance, it is unfortunate but true that they have to wait hours to get their luggage upon their arrival at the airport”. "It is really painful for them".
After arriving at the airport, the minister went to the luggage belts and found that passengers were waiting there for nearly two hours to get their baggage.
Later, Momen spoke to the passengers waiting in the luggage belt area of the airport and listened to their complaints.
Afterward, he called the director of HSIA and asked him to take prompt steps to reduce luggage handling time.
Read: Malta to send team for hassle-free visa processing of 3000 Bangladeshis: FM
The expatriate Bangladeshis have already started getting results of the services that the foreign ministry has taken a number of measures to improve consular services at the Bangladesh missions abroad, he added.
Similarly, he said measures should be taken to ease the burden on expatriate Bangladeshis at the country's international airports".
He assured the passengers present that the airport authorities have been informed to alleviate the suffering of the passengers and hoped that the authorities would take steps to ease the suffering soon.
Later, he made a phone call to State Minister for Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali while the junior minister assured him to take steps for further improvement at the airport services.
Finally, Momen thanked the state minister for easing the luggage scanning system at Dhaka airport.
New Chancery building of Bangladesh Embassy in Lisbon inaugurated
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has formally inaugurated the new Chancery building of Bangladesh Embassy in Lisbon.
Bangladeshi expatriates have expressed their joy at having a Bangladesh-owned Embassy in Portugal, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.
The entrance and premises of the Chancery wore a festive look with decorations befitting the occasion.
Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal Ambassador Álvaro Mendonca e Moura graced the inaugural ceremony held on Friday as special guest.
Padma Bridge not just a structure, a dream come true: Momen
The Padma Bridge, set to be inaugurated Saturday, is not just a structure, it is a dream come true, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said Friday.
"The nation is going to witness a momentous event tomorrow. This is going to be an emotional moment marking a turning point in our national life," he added.
"Building a bridge on the mighty River Padma has been a deep-rooted dream of the people as this will get our nation united I believe. But the challenges were huge. There were conspiracies from every direction," Momen said in a video message.
"All conspiracies were hatched to stop the construction of the Padma Bridge. But under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we beat all the challenges. We defeated all the conspiracies. We have achieved victory," the minister said.
On June 16, Momen said the World Bank (WB) must be "apologetic" and feel "sorry" considering that they did Bangladesh a "big injustice" by cancelling the funding for the Padma Bridge.
"There is no guarantee that big institutions (like WB) always do good things," he added.
Also read: Padma Bridge: FM says WB must be apologetic
Momen leads Bangladesh to Commonwealth Heads of Government in Rwanda
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has joined the Commonwealth ministers meeting on Small States, reassuring Bangladesh’s support in seeking the concrete actions by the international community to build resilience for the climate-vulnerable nations.
The foreign minister reached Kigali, Rwanda on Wednesday to attend the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), leading an eight-member delegation.
He was received by the Bangladesh envoys to London and Nairobi and the high officials from the Rwandan government.
This year, CHOGM is taking place from 24-25 June under the theme “Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming” with the attendance of more than thirty heads of government.
Also read: Encouraged by Malaysia’s leadership on Myanmar crisis: UN expert
In the afternoon, the FM had bilateral meetings with his counterpart, the Foreign Minister of Commonwealth of Dominica Dr. Kenneth M Darroux and the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Prof. G.L Peiris where the entire gamut of bilateral and multilateral issues was discussed.