The newly appointed foreign minister, Dr Hasan Mahmud, stressed the importance of strengthening the country's economic diplomacy to face allied challenges.
"We have to advance our economy. We need to expand trade," Dr Mahmud told a view-exchange meeting with reporters at his ministry on his first working day as foreign minister.
"We're more dependent on the Western countries in terms of trade," he said, adding that the country has tremendous possibility to expand trade with the East.
"We need to explore markets. We've also big opportunity to expand trade with the countries in South America and Africa… We need to deepen our ties with all."
Maintaining friendship with all in line with the country's foreign policy is a challenge as the world is becoming bipolar.
But Bangladesh will stick to its foreign policy principles, according to the minister.
He ruled out any Western pressure, saying:
"All the countries in the East and the West have expressed their willingness to work with us, with the government."
"At the end of the day, they are our development partners and we will work together," continued Dr Mahmud.
He said all the ambassadors and high commissioners in Dhaka, including those from the US, UK and the European Union, attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new cabinet in Bangabhaban.
Responding to a query, Dr Mahmud said the country would remain engaged with Myanmar to resolve the Rohingya crisis diplomatically.
"We hope this problem will be resolved diplomatically," the minister said, adding that the government did not believe in solving issues with conflicts.
"We firmly believe that it can be resolved diplomatically," he said.
The foreign minister mentioned that the Rohingya influx to Bangladesh was not new and it happened during the pre-independence regime also.
And many of them returned after those previous influxes, he recalled.
"Keeping engaged with Myanmar, we hope to resolve the problem with the cooperation from others."
Dr Mahmud expressed his gratitude to the prime minister for appointing him as the minister of such an important ministry.
Foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen and maritime affairs unit secretary Rear Admiral (retd) Khurshed Alam were present at the programme.
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