Bangladesh will not follow anyone’s dictation: Foreign minister in London

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has said that Bangladesh will no longer follow anyone’s dictations and will act according to its own will.

He added that this is the foremost commitment of Bangladesh’s foreign policy. “Tarique Rahman has clearly said: Bangladesh is with everyone,” the minister said.

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at an iftar party organised by the UK unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) at the Atrium Hall in East London on Monday.

The foreign minister commented that during the period of fascist rule, the country’s foreign policy had been mortgaged to another state.

He said that at that time there had been no meaningful input into the formulation of foreign policy.

According to him, the core principles of Bangladesh’s foreign policy are the country’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interests and dignity.

“These principles were the defining features of Bangladesh’s foreign policy during the time of martyred President Ziaur Rahman. I joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during that period. It was the golden era of our foreign policy. We are now returning to that position,” Khalilur Rahman said.

The foreign minister also said that four Bangladeshi nationals had been killed amid the ongoing unrest in the Middle East.

The event was presided over by Abul Kalam Azad, convener of the UK chapter of the BNP, and conducted by its member secretary Khosruzzaman Khosru.

Among others, Humayun Kobir, foreign affairs adviser to the prime minister, spoke as the main speaker, while Kamal Ahmed, coordinator of Ziaur Rahman Foundation Europe, and leaders of the BNP at various levels also addressed the gathering.