New Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has acknowledged the challenges of remaining non-aligned in today’s world but maintained that Bangladesh will continue to pursue its foreign policy - Friendship towards all, malice towards none.
He said this while interacting with journalists on Sunday, the first day of his office.
Dr Hasan Mahmud was the information minister in the last cabinet of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. After being elected in the January 7 general elections, he was tasked to the foreign ministry at a time when the world was sharply divided particularly following the Russia, Ukraine war.
Before the polls, the Western world, specifically, the US kept pressure on the government as the opposition BNP boycotted the elections.
Dr Hasan Mahmud, however, said there is no pressure at this moment, and all the countries in the East and the West are willing to work with the government.
He acknowledged that the foreign policy of Bangladesh is challenging considering the current global context.
“But Bangladesh will remain steadfast in its foreign policy. The world is divided. But we stand by the principle and will remain so. We will follow the principle of Friendship towards all, malice towards none. Everyone is our development partner. I want to work with everyone,” he said.
Dr Hasan Mahmud is not new in the foreign ministry. He was given the responsibility as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in 2009 when the Awami League returned to power after an eight-year gap. After seven and a half months, he was promoted and assigned to the Ministry of Forest and Environment as minister.
He highlighted the global context and said: “All the countries in the East and the West have expressed their willingness to work with us, with the government. Different countries have different observations. But at the end of the day, we work together. Everyone is our development partner. We want to take the country forward with everyone. We value the concern of various friendly countries as well as friendship with all.”
Referring to the new challenges, the foreign minister said that economic diplomacy should be strengthened. Trade should be expanded. The market should be increased. The relationship with everyone should be deepened.
There will be many challenges at work, he said.
In response to a question about employment, Dr Hasan Mahmud said that importance should be given to market expansion and the export of skilled manpower. Channels for sending remittances through legitimate ways should be unblocked and simplified, he said.
He considers diplomatic means as the way to resolve the Rohingya problem.
“We are in constant contact to solve the Rohingya problem," he said.
“Hopefully, this problem will be solved diplomatically. We do not believe in solving this problem through any war. We will resolve this issue diplomatically.”