report in Dhaka Tribune, Oct 5, 2023
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said that if it is necessary, Bangladesh would impose sanctions on those who would impose sanctions on Bangladesh.
“There is nothing to hurry for Bangladesh,” he said, when asked whether the government was preparing to take such measures.
He was replying to a question while emerging from his office at the Foreign Ministry.
The foreign minister returned home after his visit to the US and the UK with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The prime minister, during her interaction in New York, said Bangladesh would take measures against the conspiracy to disrupt the elections from outside.
The foreign minister was asked whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is preparing to impose sanctions.
In response, Dr Momen said: “Of course we will also give sanctions. We will make preparations if necessary.”
Asked about the nature of the sanctions that the government is planning, he said that it will be devised whenever necessary.
The sanctions issue came up following Washington’s sanctions on the elite police force RAB in 2021, and later announcement of a US visa restriction policy linked to the holding of free and fair elections in Bangladesh.
The foreign minister said the government is not at all worried over the US visa restrictions imposed on Bangladeshi individuals.
“The policy said that those who undermine the process of free and fair election will face the restrictions but we are committed to holding a free and fair election, so why should we be worried?” he asked.
He criticized the media for a “lack of confidence” in their own country, saying: “Why are you so dependent on foreigners? Don’t you have confidence like Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina? Have you not seen that despite the withdrawal of funding by the World Bank, she managed to build the Padma Bridge?”
He, however, said both Bangladesh and the US were on the same page regarding holding the upcoming elections in a “free and fair” manner.
“The US will not side with those who will not take part in the elections,” he said. The opposition BNP has been threatening to boycott the elections.
“The US wants free and fair elections. We have made it clear that we also want free and fair elections. And they will play a supportive role to that end,” he said.
The minister said Bangladesh’s image has been brightened and that is why foreigners are frequently visiting the country.
Many countries, including the US and those in Europe, come here to sell their own things, he said.
The foreign minister further said Bangladesh’s relations with the US are also “multifaceted” and that the two countries routinely discuss issues like climate change, migration, the Rohingya crisis and security issues. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/327081/foreign-minister-bangladesh-to-impose-counter
