Bangabandhu’s foreign policy still works like magic: Momen

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said the foreign policy of Bangladesh set by its founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is still helping the country on the global stage.

‘Friendship to all, malice to none’ is the foreign policy of Bangladesh  after independence in 1971.

“It’s simple but so significant. Still we feel the importance of this policy,” Momen said, adding that he had won all the elections for Bangladesh when he was the UN Permanent Representative at the UN because of this foreign policy.

“It worked out like a magic,” he said, referring to the period between 2009 and 2015 when Bangladesh won 52 elections at different levels of the UN.

He was speaking at an event marking the birth anniversary of Bangabandhu on Sunday in Dhaka.

State Minister for Health Murad Hossain was also present as guest at the event organised by Bangladesh Study Center and presided over by its president Uttam Kumar Barua.

Former vice-chancellor of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Prof Kamrul Hasan Khan, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Study Center Mamum Al Mahtab Swapnil, and martyred intellectual's daughter Nuzhat Choudhury also spoke at the programme, among others.

The foreign minister said ahead of the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu next year, he has instructed Bangladesh missions abroad to step up public diplomacy.

“They will hold workshops and seminars on different topics to portray Bangladesh and Bangabandhu and also the achievements of the current government."

Momen said he also asked the missions to open 24/7 hotlines so that they can quickly respond to the needs of Bangladesh expatriates.