Bangladesh and India are preparing for a high-level Foreign Secretary meeting in Dhaka next month, with discussions likely to cover a range of bilateral issues, including the potential extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India. At the Foreign Ministry's weekly briefing on Thursday, Director General of the Public Diplomacy Wing Toufique Hasan confirmed that an inter-ministerial meeting has already taken place to coordinate preparations for the upcoming talks. The Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) is scheduled to be held early December in Dhaka. “There is scope for discussion on the matter (extradition of Sheikh Hasina),” Hasan said at a weekly media briefing. Sheikh Hasina, who fled Dhaka on August 5 and has been residing in India since then, is facing trial in Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal for alleged involvement in mass killings during the July-August uprising. While the government intends to bring her back, Hasan emphasized that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet received any formal directive to initiate the extradition process. “We will engage with Delhi and begin the formal process in accordance with the existing extradition treaty once we receive the necessary instructions,” he clarified in response to queries. The FOC will be led by Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim Uddin and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Regarding the review of existing agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between the two countries, Hasan noted that these fall under the jurisdiction of various ministries in Bangladesh. “Consultations with all relevant stakeholders are crucial, and implementing any measure will take time,” he said, adding that although there has been limited progress over the past 100 days, there is hope for “significant progress” in the coming months. On the topic of Indian visas, Hasan confirmed that the Indian Visa Center is operational but is currently prioritizing medical and student visa applications. He also addressed the issue of negative media campaigns in certain Indian outlets against Bangladesh. No decision yet on repatriation of Sheikh Hasina: MoFA Concerning direct air travel between Dhaka and Karachi, Hasan informed that Pakistan had submitted a request to resume connectivity. “The matter is under review and has been forwarded to the Ministry of Civil Aviation,” the Foreign Ministry official added, noting that updates will be provided in due course.

Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin had a "productive meeting" with US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma at the State Department, affirming renewal of commitment to deepen and expand bilateral ties, strengthen collaboration on areas of mutual interest.  Their discussions focused on the US technical and financial support to reform initiatives of the interim government and addressing challenges, Rohingya issue, labour law reforms, etc.  The Foreign Secretary had a separate meeting with acting US Under Secretary for Political Affairs John Bass and discussed ways to deepen bilateral collaboration building on the momentum in the Bangladesh-US relationship and to advance impactful cooperation in priority areas.  He also had discussions on diverse issues at a meeting with US Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for South Asia Lindsey W Ford at the White House.  They covered interim government's reform agenda, democratic transition, economic and security issues, regional stability, Rohingya crisis, labour law etc. Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin met Brendan Lynch, Assistant USTR for South and Central Asia and discussed mutual cooperation to diversify export, DFQF access of RMGs produced from cotton imported from US, simplification of registration and reduction of registration fees for pharmaceutical products, labour law reforms, and access to US International Development Finance Cooperation (DFC). A lunch meeting between the Foreign Secretary and key officials focused on a wide range of issues of mutual interests.  US officials include Assistant Secretary Ambassador Donald Lu, Acting Assistant Secretary Marta C. Youth, Deputy Assistant Secretary Nicole Chulick, Deputy Assistant Secretary Monica Ager Jacobsen, as well as Director Alla P. Kamins.  The Foreign Secretary visited New York before his tour to Washington and is scheduled is leave Washington on October 14.      

Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin is scheduled to make an official visit to the United States from October 7-14 to hold a series of meetings as the two sides eye stronger relations in diverse areas. The Foreign Secretary is scheduled to leave Dhaka shortly after Sunday midnight, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB on Sunday. This is going to be his first official visit abroad since his appointment as the Foreign Secretary. The Foreign Secretary will have meetings with senior officials of the US government, a diplomatic source told UNB, adding that he would visit both Washington and New York. He plans to have meetings with officials at the US Department of State, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), UN officials in New York and the officials of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Foreign Secretary Jashim likely to visit US next week Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus visited the US recently to attend the United Nations General Assembly and on the sidelines he had meetings with US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony J Blinken. In New York, President Biden and Prof Yunus affirmed the close partnership between the United States and Bangladesh, which is rooted in shared democratic values and strong people-to-people ties. President Biden welcomed further engagement between the two governments and offered continued US support as Bangladesh implements its new reform agenda.

Reiterating Bangladesh’s position against any kind of war in the world, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Thursday said any kind of conflict or war in the region might deviate Bangladesh from achieving its goal of further development. “Obviously, we don’t want any war, be it real war or proxy war. We are against war,” he said, adding that Bangladesh will not allow anyone to use its land to serve others’ interests or that might go against the interest of its neighbours. The foreign secretary made the remarks while responding to a question during a year-ending interaction with the members of Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. MoFA Spokesperson Seheli Sabrin was also present. Journalists play critical role everywhere strengthening democratic institutions: US Embassy He said Bangladesh is always against any kind of war as common people, women and children suffer from conflicts. Describing India and Myanmar as Bangladesh’s neighbours, he said Bangladesh’s focus remains on more development and Bangladesh will get deviated from achieving its target if there is any kind of conflict, proxy or otherwise. “For this reason, we always exercise maximum restraint,” Masud Momen said, noting that there have been provocations when the Rohingya influx began in 2017. “There have been instructions from the top leadership to exercise restraint.” Responding to a question big powers rivalry, the foreign secretary said Bangladesh is trying its best how to do this balancing act maintaining contact and communication with all the countries. 180 foreign observers applied to EC to oversee polls: MoFA “We are not making anyone hostile, we are responding timely and responding concerns if any. Many are saying that they want to learn from us. They are happy on how Bangladesh is dealing with all these competing demands and interests,” he said, adding that there is no magic formula. Regarding the next national election, Masud Momen said the government hopes that there will be a good election. “At this moment, we don't think election will not be free and fair.” He hoped that people will cast their votes in the election in a festive mood. “There is no reason to get panicked.” Masud Momen said they are concentrating on how they can help the Election Commission to hold free and fair polls. “We are committed to hold a free and fair election. That's our focus. If there is any problem, we will face that.” He said they want peace and stability the way the foreign friends want. “We want to follow a peaceful process. Bangladesh is always for peace.” Responding to a question, the foreign secretary said Bangladesh is not holding election to satisfy any foreigner, but for its constitutional obligation, government’s continuity and people will vote if they want to vote. He said what a particular country is thinking of or whether any particular country will recognize the polls are irrelevant. ‘Want the entire world to observe our polls and learn from us’: Momen Earlier on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said they do not want to see any proxy war in the region and highlighted the importance of peace and stability for greater development,. “Our main goal is that we do not want to see any proxy war here. Problems remain there where we see proxy war despite having resources. Europe has fallen into proxy war and is facing challenges,” he told reporters, noting that there might be efforts to make the countries in the region weaker. Momen said Bangladesh has taken a leadership role in the region and other countries acknowledge this. “This is good for us.”

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Thursday urged Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Bangladesh Archbishop Kevin S. Randall to encourage Myanmar authorities to create a conducive environment for the sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas. He said this while Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Bangladesh Archbishop Kevin S. Randall met Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. China sees brighter future with Bangladesh: Chinese envoy to Dhaka The foreign secretary congratulated His Excellency Archbishop Kevin S. Randall on his assumption of responsibilities as the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Bangladesh and assured him full support in discharging his responsibilities. He also highlighted Bangladesh’s glorious history of religious harmony and age-old tradition of peaceful coexistence of the people of different religions. He commended the significant role played by the Christian community in Bangladesh through their noticeable involvement in promoting education and social services. Bangladesh remains extra vigilant about Myanmar violence: MoFA spokesperson The Apostolic Nuncio appreciated religious harmony in Bangladesh and expressed satisfaction at the constitutional guarantee to freedom of religion. Momen also commended the Holy See’s constructive role in promoting global peace and harmony and hoped that the Holy See would apply its high moral standing to impress people across the globe to respect the sacred values and religious symbols of all religions. ‘If US can raise hourly wage, we can follow that model; inflation is high there’: Momen He deeply appreciated His Holiness Pope Francis’ personal commitment to the cause of over 1.2 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas, who fled atrocities in their homeland in Myanmar, and briefed the Apostolic Nuncio about the Rohingyas in Bangladesh and the need for their safe, voluntary and dignified return to their homeland Myanmar at an early date.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Monday said the US government has "kind of alignment or endorsement” with the recommendations made by the joint IRI-NDI mission. Talking to reporters, he said during his meeting with US Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter, they discussed what Bangladesh is thinking of those recommendations. "It's a political issue whether dialogue will be held or not," Masud Momen said while responding to a question. Masud-Afreen Meeting: Bangladesh, US want "free, fair, peaceful" elections The IRI-NDI joint delegation offered recommendations as a roadmap for progress towards "credible, inclusive, participatory, and nonviolent" elections that can advance Bangladesh’s democracy.   The recommendations are: ·         Moderate rhetoric and engage in open and substantive dialogue on key election issues. ·         Protect freedom of expression and ensure an open civic space where dissent is respected. ·         Commit to nonviolence and hold perpetrators of political violence accountable. ·         Create conditions to allow all parties to engage in meaningful political competition, including bolstering independent election management. ·         Promote a culture of inclusive and active electoral participation among citizens. WHO regional director election: Momen conveys Bangladesh’s gratitude to Thailand for support to Saima Wazed When a reporter asked whether Bangladesh-US will sign any agreement on trade, investment, energy or defence before the election, the foreign secretary said there is no such possibility. "At this moment, we do not see any such possibility," he said. He also ruled out any possibility of welcoming any foreign observers with government expenditure. He said logistics support will be provided as before. The foreign secretary said the government has been assuring the US side of a free and fair election with public participation. He also said violence does not take place on its own and inclusive elections depend on political parties. Asked about Rohingya repatriation, the foreign secretary said it will begin when safety requirements are fulfilled. "We are not giving any timeline or deadline." US Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter in Dhaka US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) Afreen Akhter on Monday discussed issues of mutual interest including elections and the Rohingya issues with Bangladesh. "Bangladesh and the United States want free and fair elections conducted in a peaceful manner," said the US Embassy in Dhaka after Afreen's meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen. US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present. They discussed the "strong multifaceted" bilateral relationship between the two countries and its many aspects. The US direct investment and trade, longstanding development partnership, the Middle East, the recent visit of the independent and nonpartisan election survey team, and supporting Rohingya refugees came up for discussion. They also discussed government efforts to ensure that people of Bangladesh cast their votes in free, fair and peaceful elections.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen has said Bangladesh has long been dedicated to the cause of women empowerment and women's meaningful participation in the peace and security process. He also highlighted Bangladesh's leadership in women empowerment and active engagement of women in community development initiatives. The Foreign Secretary was speaking at a multi-stakeholders consultation and implementation review workshop on Bangladesh’s national plan on women, peace and security (NAP WPS), jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UN Women on Sunday. EU, Bangladesh commit to enhancing good nutrition through good governance Masud Momen invited the participants at the workshop to focus their discussions on women's effective role in addressing challenges like violent extremism, child marriage and social mobilization to enhance communal harmony. The Foreign Secretary joined the event as the chief guest, while the country representative of the UN Women Gitanjali Singh was present at the event as the special guest. Representatives from different Ministries, foreign diplomatic missions, civil society organizations including a number of grassroots level women organizations, were also present at the event. Other speakers also emphasized on the importance of the equal role of women in the decision making process for effective implementation of the WPS agenda. The objective was meant to enhance understanding on the Women, Peace and Security agenda among all stakeholders and to ensure effective collaboration to take forward the agenda by sensitizing those who work at the grassroots level for effective implementation of it. EU's Election Exploratory Mission to begin activities Sunday Bangladesh Mahila Parishad and Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha made presentations on their actions and initiatives on WPS agenda. The workshop participants engaged in a tabletop exercise and reviewed the implementation of the National Action Plan, effective till 2025, challenges and ways to overcome them. MoU signed for cross-border cooperation in research on ocean sciences  

Bangladesh and India are scheduled to hold Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) on Wednesday, which will review the ongoing cooperation between the two countries apart from the issues of mutual interests. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra will arrive in Dhaka after the completion of his two-day official visit to Nepal from February 13 to 14. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and his Indian counterpart will discuss all the bilateral issues at the FOC. Kwatra assumed charge as foreign secretary on May 1 last year, and this will be his first Bangladesh visit after that. Preparatory works regarding the FOC are now underway, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Seheli Sabrin told the reporters at a weekly briefing Thursday. She said the last FOC was held on January 29, 2021, in New Delhi, India. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to attend the 18th Group of Twenty (G20) Summit which will take place in New Delhi on September 9-10 this year. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited her Bangladesh counterpart Hasina to attend the Summit. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen will attend the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi on March 1-2. The issues related to the upcoming visits by the prime minister and foreign minister are likely to be discussed during the Indian foreign secretary’s visits, said a diplomatic source. Kwatra is likely to meet the prime minister and foreign minister during his visit. India, which holds the presidency of the G20 from December 1 2022 to November 30, 2023, invited Bangladesh as a "guest country" in its all meetings, Seheli said. Bangladesh sees its series of engagements with the G20 under India's presidency this year as a "big honour" for it. "We will raise our issues there. It is a big honour for us. We should be prudent," Momen told the reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently, noting that Bangladesh is the only South Asian country invited by the host. The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation, which plays an "important role" in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues. India invited Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as guest countries to its meetings and summit, according to the Ministry of External Affairs, India. Apart from the G20 leaders, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Oman Head of State Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan were invited to the G20 Summit. Hasina paid a state visit to India from September 5 to 8 last year at the invitation of Modi. The G20 comprises 19 countries – Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the UK, the US and the European Union. The G20 members represent around 85 percent of the global GDP, over 75 percent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. Read more: Being invited to G20 Summit is a big honour for Bangladesh, says Momen  

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen has appreciated Thailand’s continuous support to the development journey of Bangladesh in the last fifty years. He hoped for the continuation of the same for transforming Bangladesh into a knowledge-based, developed country by 2041 under the visionary and able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Masud also stressed greater regional cohesion for reaping the benefits of the Asian momentum. Read more: Jaishankar greets Bangladesh on Victory Day On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and Thailand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a seminar  on Thursday titled “50 Years of Bangladesh-Thailand Friendship: Prospects and Way Forward”. Foreign Secretary Masud graced the seminar as the chief guest. Ambassador of Thailand to Bangladesh Makawadee Sumitmor spoke as guest of honour while Secretary (East) Mashfee Binte Shams chaired the session. The speakers of the seminar were Ambassador Kazi Imtiaz Hossain, Chairman, BIISS, Prof. Dr. Delwar Hossain, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka and Jibon Krishna Saha Roy, Director, BIDA. The foreign secretary recalled with gratitude the early recognition of Bangladesh  by Thailand in 1972, immediately following the independence of Bangladesh.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen has said the situation that US Ambassador Peter Haas faced cannot be seen as a security threat. “There is no scope to see it as a security threat,” he told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy on Thursday evening, noting that the incident will have no impact on the Dhaka-Washington relations of long 50 years. Ambassador Haas visited the residence of Sanjida Islam, coordinator of Mayer Dak, an organisation of the relatives of the victims of enforced disappearance, at Shaheenbagh in the city on Wednesday morning. Sanjida is the sister of BNP leader Sajedul Islam Sumon, who was reportedly disappeared in 2013.As Haas arrived there though, he was intercepted and confronted by members of another organisation - Maayer Kanna (Mother's Tears) - a platform of family members of victims of earlier regimes, specifically the administration of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman. Read: DUTA slams US Ambassador for ‘contradictory’ behaviour The US Ambassador met Foreign Minister Momen on emergency basis at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs right after the incident. The Foreign Secretary said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen tried to explain the situation on Wednesday. “I told him that it is our responsibility to ensure security for you and your people. I asked him (Haas) whether anybody attacked him or on his people. He replied, no,” the foreign minister told reporters, adding that they will provide the Ambassador additional security if he wants. The Ambassador's security escort asked him to leave the place as soon as possible fearing blockade by people there. “Due to security reasons he left quickly. He is very unhappy with that incident. He is a bit worried,” Momen said. Read: Families of armed forces officers executed during Zia regime seek US ambassador’s intervention for justice The US Ambassador and embassy staff concluded the meeting early on December 14 due to “security concerns”. The US side said they have raised their “concerns” about this matter at the “highest levels” of the Bangladesh government.