Education Minister Dipu Moni today (September 5, 2022) said that anyone can be dropped from PM’s entourage due to Covid-19 precautions. Talking to reporters, she said that before meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina or attending Parliament sessions, they are always anxious over Covid-19 tests – wondering whether they will test positive. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen did not accompany Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her India visit citing “illness”. “He (Momen) is feeling unwell. He didn’t go with the PM,” an official told UNB earlier today. Read:Momen not in PM’s entourage in India, cited “illness” as reason: Official When asked for comments over it, the education minister said, “Choice of words is a dangerous thing. You said (Momen has been) ‘dropped’. If you know the reason, you can say whether he was ‘dropped’ (from PM’s entourage) or he couldn’t go due to a certain reason.” At the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bangladesh PM Hasina is on a state visit to New Delhi from today to September 8. Foreign Minister Momen briefed the media yesterday afternoon at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in detail about PM’s India visit and was scheduled to accompany her. Hasina, now in New Delhi, is visiting India after three years.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday urged all to follow three health safety protocols -- wearing face-mask, exercising maximum caution and keeping public gatherings limited -- in the fight against Coronavirus in Bangladesh.