Nothing to worry about US sanctions: Momen

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen has said there is “no reason to worry” about new US sanctions, and described Bangladesh-US ties as “very good”, reports UNB.

“The US puts sanctions in thousands. These (sanctions) come one way and go another way. There is nothing to worry or panic about,” he told reporters when asked whether the government is concerned about new sanctions from the US.

Momen also said the US puts sanctions when they want to put pressure, and that there are examples of withdrawing those sanctions.

Citing multifaceted engagements between the two countries, the foreign minister said the US comes up with suggestions at times as there is cordial relationship between the two countries.

The US embassy said they raised the 14 December incident in Dhaka’s Shaheenbagh area at the “highest levels” of the Bangladesh government, as well as with the Bangladesh embassy in Washington DC.

“The US ambassador (Peter Haas) is a bit panicked about his security. Our ambassador said there is no reason to get panicked,” Momen had said on Monday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the foreign minister spoke as the chief guest at the BIISS research colloquium 2022.

The Bangladesh institute of international and strategic studies (BIISS) organised the event at the BIISS auditorium. BIISS chairman Kazi Imtiaz Hossain and its director general Major General Sheikh Pasha Habib Uddin also spoke at the event.

The event was divided into three sessions. In each session, three speakers presented their recent research that concerns Bangladesh's national interest.

The session one was on Bangladesh’s regional and global outreach which was chaired by BIISS Chairman.

Session two was on security and strategic affairs chaired by former chief of army staff of Bangladesh, General (retd) Md Abdul Mubeen.

The third session highlighted “diplomacy and negotiations” which was chaired by Professor Imtiaz Ahmed.