Foreign Minister Dipu Moni could not say exactly how many people were going to accompany Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to New York for the upcoming UN General Assembly on Thursday.
“At this moment, I cannot tell you the exact figure. We could perhaps tell you about this after September 22,” Dipu told a press briefing on Thursday, ahead of her scheduled flight for the US late last night.
Hasina is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Sunday to attend the 68th UNGA session, and return home on September 30.
There have been allegations that a large number of people were included in the PM’s delegation on political consideration, and they would merely enjoy a pleasure trip at taxpayers’ money.
Dipu Moni said the PM’s delegation would include officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, a security detail, journalists, a business team and some eminent personalities. But the full, final list was not available yet, she added.
Meanwhile, Dipu said she was not aware of a planned meeting between the Bangladesh prime minister and her Indian counterpart, Manmohan Singh, on the sideline of the UNGA.
AK Abdul Momen, Bangladesh permanent representative to the UN, on Wednesday told the Dhaka Tribune that the two South Asian leaders would meet on September 28.
“It is possible, the two permanent representatives have discussed the issue, and that’s why he said such thing,” she said.
The foreign ministry confirmed through an SMS around 8:30pm that the Hasina-Manmohan meeting would be held on September 28.
About a joint statement issued by the border forces of both countries on Wednesday, Dipu said she could not comment on it as she had not read the full text.
“Bangladesh side expressed their deep concern on the issues of killing/injury and beating of Bangladeshi nationals at the border. Indian side also expressed deep concern over the issues of killing/injury and beating of Indian nationals at the border,” she said, referring to the first point of the six-point statement.
One foreign ministry official expressed surprise on how Bangladesh accepted such a joint statement as, he said, Border Guard Bangladesh does not kill any Indian nationals.
“If BSF (Border Security Force) kills their own people in India, why Bangladesh expressed concern over the issue?” he said.
However, the foreign minister, said: “Probably this statement is related to the people of both countries killed by BSF.”