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SYLHET: There is no possibility of the Prime Minister visiting India before the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir said on Saturday.
He said the dates of the Prime Minister’s proposed India visit had not yet been finalised, although discussions between the two countries were continuing.
“Talks are underway between the two sides, but there is no possibility of the Prime Minister visiting India before the UN General Assembly session,” Humayun Kabir said while speaking with leaders of the Electronic Media Journalists Association (EMJA), an organisation of television journalists working in Sylhet.
The meeting was held at a hotel conference room in the city’s Zindabazar area on Saturday morning.
The state minister said the Prime Minister would attend the UN General Assembly session carrying the message of “a new Bangladesh and its journey forward”. He also said there was a possibility of a meeting between the Prime Minister and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the session.
Referring to Bangladesh’s relations with India, Humayun Kabir said dialogue between the two neighbours remained open despite differences on various issues.
“However many problems we may have with India, the path of dialogue remains open. As a neighbour, Bangladesh should maintain good relations with India,” he said.
Speaking about the country’s energy crisis, the state minister strongly criticised corruption in the sector, saying the extent of wrongdoing could be understood by looking at how the energy sector had been managed.
He, however, said the Prime Minister was giving the highest priority to the energy sector and that the government was sincerely working to resolve the crisis.
Asked about the possibility of Bangladesh joining the Makkah security agreement, Humayun Kabir said discussions were continuing and that Bangladesh’s participation would not be unusual.
“Many countries are now members of more than one security alliance. Bangladesh will go wherever it needs to go based on its national interests,” he said.
On Bangladesh’s purchase of Boeing aircraft from the United States, the state minister said no one was forcing the country to buy the planes.
“Bangladesh is purchasing Boeing aircraft because there is a demand for them. If necessary, more Boeing aircraft will be purchased,” he said.
Regarding the export of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia, Humayun Kabir alleged that a syndicate operating during the Awami League সরকারের tenure had negatively affected labour migration to the country.
He said the current government had broken the syndicate and that workers would now be sent to Malaysia gradually.
Asked about reports of Bangladeshi citizens being unable to find hotel accommodation in Kolkata and, in some cases, having to spend the night on the streets, the state minister said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would take action if specific incidents were brought to its attention.
“If any specific incident is brought to the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, necessary steps will be taken,” he said.