State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has said the ministry is aware of visa-related issues and is taking steps to address them.
Speaking to reporters at the Ministry on Thursday, she said, “We are aware of the visa matters at the Foreign Ministry. We are working on how to resolve these problems.”
The state minister also said that Bangladesh now has a democratic government after a long time and pledged that the country’s foreign policy would reflect democratic principles.
“As a democratic government’s foreign policy should be, Bangladesh will stand upright and maintain communication, dialogue and friendship with all countries. Our backbone has become stronger after a long time because we have come with the mandate of the people,” she said.
Obaed added that the government aims to make decisions in an inclusive manner, engaging all political parties, groups, religions and communities, as well as opposition candidates who participated in the election and representatives of civil society.
“We want to move forward with strength and confidence. Bangladesh should be viewed differently by the world,” she said.
Responding to a question about challenges in improving relations with neighbouring countries, she acknowledged that Bangladesh faces various issues with different countries.
“To resolve these issues, we must proceed through both bilateral and multilateral engagements. We will move forward in that direction,” she said, adding that Bangladesh will maintain relations with all states and governments while safeguarding the interests of its people.