Foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said on Sunday the government would bear the cost of bringing home the bodies of Bangladeshis from New Zealand.
Five Bangladeshis were among 49 killed in mass shootings by a white supremacist inside two mosques in the city of Christchurch last Friday.
"Our one honorary consul in Christchurch and two officials of our Canberra embassy in Australia are now working to send the bodies back home," Dr Momen said.
He was speaking as the chief guest at a discussion styled 'Bangabandhu in the International Arena' hosted by the Bangladesh Study Trust (BDST) at the National Press Club.
On the death toll of Bangladeshis in the attacks, he said, "Four Bangladeshis have so far been confirmed dead. But we think the number might increase."
"However, we're communicating with our officials in Christchurch if there were more deaths," he continued.
Condemning the terror strike, Dr Momen said Bangladesh would request foreign governments to ensure security of Muslims (including Bangladeshis) in the mosques of their respective countries.
He said this barbaric attack happened due to ignorance, malice and racist mentality of a right-wing extremist.
Citing the foreign policy of the father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he said, "Bangladesh got the membership of the United Nations because of Bangabandhu's diplomatic acumen."
Bangabandhu had his passionate belief in 'friendship to all and malice to none', Dr Momen observed.
He suggested including more facts about the architect of the country's independence in the textbooks.
Dr Momen, also the chairman of the BDST, said the government is working to seek international recognition of March 25 as International Genocide Day.
At the programme, state minister for health and family welfare Dr Murad Hasan said Bangladesh would have never been liberated without Bangabandhu.
Bangladesh is better known because of the towering as well as unique personality of Bangabandhu, he said emphatically.
Dr Hasan said the government would observe Mujib Year in 2020 in the country to spotlight the life's activities of the greatest son of Bengal.
Former ambassador AKM Atiqur Rahman presented a keynote paper at the seminar with BDST trustee Prof Uttam Kumar Barua in the chair.
BDST general secretary Dr Mamun Al Mahtab Swaplin, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University former vice-chancellor Prof Kamrul Hasan Khan and Swampriti Bangladesh convener Pijush Bandapadyya were present.
Also present at the event, among others, was Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Bangladesh general secretary Dr Nurul Islam Hasib.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
