FM Momen
New Year: President Biden, First Lady Jill greet FM Momen, his family
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden have greeted Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and his wife Selina Momen on the occasion of New Year 2022.
“May gifts from the heart be with you and your family this holiday season,” the US President and First Lady wrote while greeting Dr Momen and his wife.
Read: Bangladesh remains open to foreign observers in next polls: FM
Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken greeted Dr Momen and wished his family a joyous and peaceful New Year.
"May you and your family have a joyous holiday season and peaceful New Year," Secretary Blinken wrote in his New Year's message from the US State Department.
Efforts on to change Washington’s decision of sanctions: FM Momen
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said their efforts and discussions with the United States will continue so that it changes its decision on designated sanctions imposed on some of the present and former officials of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
“It’s not like that all the decisions of the US are correct. There’re many examples. We’ll discuss the issue with them. We expect they’ll change their position. Our efforts will continue on that front,” he said while responding to a question at a virtual media briefing.
The Foreign Minister briefed the media on the upcoming State visit of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind to Bangladesh from December 15-17 which is a “reflection of the high priority” that both countries attach to the bilateral relationship.
Terming the Dhaka-Washington relations “very sweet” with continuous discussion on many issues, the Foreign Minister who got connected from Turkey said they believe that there will be no impact on the relations between the two countries.
Read: Sanctions on RAB: FM says impact on relations depends on US
He described the US decision as “regrettable” and mentioned that by and large RAB is free from corruption and people have confidence in them.
Earlier, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller was summoned by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Saturday to convey Dhaka’s “discontent” over the designated sanctions imposed by the US Departments of Treasury and of State on some of the present and former officials of RAB.
Foreign Secretary Momen expressed Bangladesh’s disappointment that the decision was taken "unilaterally" by the US Administration without any prior consultation with the government of Bangladesh.
He flagged that the issues that were cited for imposing the designated sanctions remained under active discussions, including under the framework of the regular institutional dialogues between the two sides, and that yet the US decision came without any prior intimation.
The Foreign Secretary regretted that the US decided to undermine an agency of the government that had been on the forefront of combating terrorism, drug trafficking and other heinous transnational crimes that were considered to be shared priorities with successive US administrations.
Read: US imposes sanctions on RAB, 7 individuals
Ambassador Miller took note of the concerns raised by the Bangladesh government, and assured Dhaka of conveying the same to his Capital, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He concurred that the excellent multifaceted relations between two countries could be further deepened through established consultation mechanisms and high-level visits.
Ambassador Miller further expressed the willingness of the US government to remain closely engaged with the Bangladesh government in the coming days on the issues of mutual interests.
Sanctions on RAB: FM says impact on relations depends on US
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Saturday said it will depend on the United States whether there will be any impact on Dhaka-Washington relations following sanctions on RAB and individuals.
“I don’t think so but it depends on the US,” he told reporters after attending a programme at Foreign Service Academy when asked about any possible impact on the relations with the US following this development .
Dr Momen said there are instances of attacks on those countries and governments which have been doing well in terms of development and people’s welfare.
He said problems appear when a country or government does well and there are many examples. “Once you do something for people’s welfare, many out of jealousy do so many things.”
Read: Miller summoned; Dhaka’s discontent over Washington’s unilateral decision conveyed
Dr Momen said the people of the country have much confidence in the “disciplined” force RAB as they played a role in making the country free from terrorists.
He said some NGOs and human rights groups lodged complaints against RAB in addition to the US' own assessment. “These’re regrettable.”
In the USA, Dr Momen said, 600,000 people got disappeared every year and the US government does not know how they got disappeared.
Meanwhile, he said, around 1,000 people are killed each year by the police in the USA in the line of duty but no head of agency is punished.
The Foreign Minister said what the US said about RAB is not based on facts. “They should be specific and more fact-based ones. The US is a mature country but their decisions are not that much mature.”
The United States on Friday imposed human rights-related sanctions on Benzir Ahmed, current Inspector General of the Bangladesh Police and former Director General of Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and six other individuals on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.
Read: Dhaka trashes HR violation allegations against IGP, 6 others
The US Department of State announced visa restrictions on Benazir Ahmed, which it says, due to his “involvement in gross violations of human rights” making him ineligible for entry into the United States.
RAB as an entity, Benzir Ahmed, and six other officials were designated by the Department of the Treasury under the Global Magnitsky sanctions programme in connection with serious human rights abuse, said the US Department of State.
Dhaka, Delhi created model relations, says FM terming Dec 6 a historic day
Terming December 6 a historic day, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Monday said Bangladesh and India have created a model of relationship by resolving major issues peacefully.
“It’s historic day and truly Maitri Diwas (Friendship Day). We’ve (Bangladesh-India) created model relations (for other countries),” he said at a discussion organized by Sector Commanders Forum (SCF) at the Jatiya Press Club.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar spoke as special guest. Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami, Bhutan’s Ambassador to Bangladesh Rinchen Kuentsyl, former diplomat Mohiuddin Ahmed and SCF Secretary General Haroon Habib, among others, spoke at the discussion held with SCF chief M Nurul Alam in the chair.
The Foreign Minister profoundly recalled the wholehearted support extended by the people of India and the Indian government during the 1971 Liberation War.
Dr Momen said he is eagerly waiting for the day when no visa will be required for Bangladeshis and Indians to travel to each other's countries. "Our relationship is written in blood and we want to deepen it," he said.
Read:Let’s dream of a better world, FM Momen tells peace conference
He recalled with utmost respect the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on this historic day.
Dr Momen also remembered the brave freedom fighters of Bangladesh and the Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives for Bangladesh's Independence in 1971.
Bangladesh and India are celebrating the Maitri Diwas, the historic day when India, as the second country, recognized Bangladesh as a sovereign and independent state in 1971 after Bhutan.
The day has been designated by the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh and India as Bangladesh-India Friendship Day in March 2021.
Speaking as the chief guest at the discussion, Dr Momen said it was not the India-Pakistan war that Pakistan tried to interpret.
Let’s dream of a better world, FM Momen tells peace conference
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Saturday hoped that there will be peace across the world following an end to violence, war and terror with the active support from the international community.
"These activities and violence, whether against Rohingyas or Palestinians, are manmade ones. Since these are manmade, I’ve a dream: One day with your active support, we can end violence, war and terror," he said.
Dr Momen hoped that no child will be without family, no soldier will lift his or her weapons to take another man’s life, disastrous bombs and hateful minds hopefully will be replaced by flowers of friendship and peace.
The Foreign Minister made the remarks at the inaugural session of the "World Peace Conference" at Hotel InterContinental in the afternoon.
Also read: Peace Conference testimony of Bangladesh's commitment to global security: FM
President Abdul Hamid joined the inaugural session virtually and delivered speech as the chief guest.
No boarding passes if South Africa returnees not fully vaccinated: FM
Foreign Minister Abdul Momen on Thursday said those who are returning from South Africa will not get boarding passes if they are not fully vaccinated and fail to show Covid negative report.
“Biman doesn’t operate flights to Africa, if any flight of other airlines comes here the travellers won’t get boarding passes unless they are fully vaccinated and have Covid negative certificate,” he said.
“They’ll have to stay in a 14-day institutional quarantine upon arrival,“ said the minister while talking to reporters over the Omicron scare after attending a programme at Salutika in Sylhet.
Momen said all the missions have been asked to discourage Bangladeshis staying in Africa and the adjacent countries not to travel to Bangladesh now. “However, Bangladesh is ready to face the situation,” he added.
Read: Bangladesh removed from India’s "red list": FMCity Mayor Ariful Haq Chowdhury, among others, attended the programme.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Wednesday urged the expatriates, especially those living in Africa, to avoid travel and stay in their respective workplaces.
“People coming from Africa must undergo a14-day quarantine. If 20,000 people from Africa come to the country at a time, then it won’t be possible to put them under institutional quarantine,” he said.
Omicron has spread in different parts of Africa and the new variant has been detected in some European countries, including the UK.
Read: Bangladesh seeks US investment in diversified areas
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Monday that the global risk from the Omicron variant is “very high” based on the early evidence, saying the mutated coronavirus could lead to surges with “severe consequences”.
The assessment from the UN health agency, contained in a technical paper issued to member states, amounted to WHO’s strongest, most explicit warning yet about the new version that was first identified days ago by researchers in South Africa, reports AP.
Bangladesh removed from India’s "red list": FM
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said Bangladesh has been removed from the "red list" of India following a request from Dhaka.
He said the India High Commission in Dhaka has informed about the removal of Bangladesh from the “red list” following their request.
Read: ‘We've a very transparent democracy’: FM Momen
Countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India, including post-arrival testing (Countries at-risk), are countries in the Europe, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel, said the High Commission.
Bangladesh is out of the list for additional measures at airports on arrival, said the High Commissioner.
South Africa looks for greater collaboration with Bangladesh
South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Dr Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor on Thursday laid emphasis on greater collaboration with Bangladesh noting that Bangladesh has an amazing story to tell.
"Bangladesh is well on its way to achieve Sonar Bangla. Bangladesh is now called a development miracle," she said.
Read: Bangladesh explores JV agricultural projects with South Africa
The South African Minister was delivering her speech at a function titled "Bangladesh-South Africa Bilateral Relations: Exploring the Potentials for Future Engagement and Cooperation".
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen spoke as the chief guest at the function organized by Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS).
The African Minister talked about vaccine issue and laid emphasis on equal access to all countries.
Read: India's first grass conservatory established in Uttarakhand's Ranikhet
Comoros looks for trade deal with Bangladesh
Foreign Minister of Comoros Dhoihir Dhoulkamal has underlined the importance of signing a trade agreement between the two countries.
Mentioning that both Bangladesh and Comoros are growing economies, the Comoran Foreign Minister said the two countries can enhance cooperation in trade and economic sectors.
Read: Dhaka, Colombo look for quick conclusion of PTA
Foreign Minister Dhoihir Dhoulkamal met his Bangladesh counterpart Dr AK Abdul Momen at the State Guest House Padma on Tuesday and discussed the issues of mutual interest.
The Foreign Minister of Comoros is visiting Dhaka to participate in the 21st Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers and related meetings.
He highly commended the excellent economic performance of Bangladesh and mentioned that Comoros would consider importing RMG and other products from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh exports various goods to the African countries, including RMG, leather, jute and pharmaceutical products.
Dr Momen thanked the Foreign Minister of Comoros for the support of the Comoros government for the chairship of Bangladesh at IORA.
He requested the Comoran side for extending support at the candidature at the IMO and Human Rights Council.
Dr Momen mentioned that Bangladesh has achieved remarkable progress in the socio-economic sectors, and maintained a robust growth in the economy during the last decade in addition to achieving an excellent success in the agricultural sector.
Read: France firmly with Bangladesh over Rohingya issue: FM Momen
The Comoran Foreign Minister also proposed that the Comoran officials may be trained in natural gas exploration fields at Bangladesh institutes and showed interest in visiting some pharmaceuticals and garment industries here.
The Bangladesh side proposed that there may be direct trade of goods like spices and vanilla from Comoros to Bangladesh.
The two sides also expressed intention to continue cooperation under the framework of IORA as its members alongside exchanging visits by business delegations.
Madagascar keen to work with Bangladesh on blue economy, ICT
Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar Ratsimandao Tahirimiakadaza has proposed that both Bangladesh and Madagascar can establish cooperation in the blue economy, including collaboration among maritime universities and extraction of marine nutrients.
He said the Madagascar government is eager to establish cooperation in the IT-ICT sector of Bangladesh and suggested establishing G2G cooperation in expanded IT-ICT areas.
Tahirimiakadaza met Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at the State Guest House Padma on Tuesday and discussed the issues of mutual interest.
Dr Momen sought support of the Madagascar government in favour of the candidature of Bangladesh at the forthcoming IMO election as well as Humans Right Council.
Read: US donates 18 freezer trucks for vaccine delivery in Bangladesh
The Madagascar Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs was accompanied by officials of the Madagascar government who are participating in the 21st Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers and related meetings.
At the outset of the meeting, Dr Momen welcomed the Permanent Secretary of Foreign Ministry of Madagascar to Dhaka.
He mentioned that Bangladesh has achieved tremendous socio-economic progress during the last decade.
Dr Momen mentioned that Bangladesh has expertise in the IT-ICT sector and the government is offering various types of digital services to people.
He also suggested that the two countries may establish cooperation in the IT-ICT sector and Madagascar may import RMG and pharmaceutical products from Bangladesh.
Read: Counter-terrorism police arrest online head of banned Ansar Al Islam
The Permanent Secretary of Foreign Ministry of Madagascar briefed Dr Momen about measures taken by the government of Madagascar in order to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
He congratulated the Bangladesh government for the measures undertaken by the government of Bangladesh for containing the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
He mentioned that Madagascar and Bangladesh are working together at international platforms on matters of mutual interest and commended the role of Bangladesh at IORA in protecting the interest of the developing countries.
Recognising the importance of cooperation in agriculture areas, both sides agreed to establish cooperation in food and agriculture areas, including collaboration in seed technology and agricultural production. Dr Momen suggested that a Fact-Finding Mission may go to Madagascar to discuss the possibilities of contract farming opportunities in Madagascar.
He also sought continued support of Madagascar on the Rohingya repatriation issue.
The Permanent Secretary assured Dr Momen of their continued support to Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue.