Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said on Thursday that Dr Muhammad Yunus' conviction would not put any adverse impact on foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh.
"Lobbyist firms carry out campaign for Dr Yunus, but FDI won't be impacted," he said while talking to reporters after his separate meetings with German and French envoys at his ministry.
Although Dr Yunus has come to the fore in discussion in the last 12 years, FDI has been increasing and would go up further, he noted.
"So, there is no link between foreign investment and this issue (Yunus issue). It's simply a legal matter," the minister said.
"Dr Yunus has been convicted in a case filed by the aggrieved people of his company, and the government is not a party to it. It's a court decision. So, the government can't interfere in it," he explained. Asked about his meetings with the envoys, the foreign minister said these two EU countries are major development partners of Bangladesh.
German Ambassador Achim Troster and French Ambassador Marie Masdupuy paid courtesy calls on the Foreign Minister.
The FM says Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend this year's Munich Security Conference scheduled to be held in February in Germany.
The foreign ministry is working on the bilateral meetings to be held on the sidelines of the conference, he added.
Responding to a question on Bangabandhu Satellite-2, Mr Mahmud said this is definitely a priority for the government of Bangladesh.
Asked about the issue of buying aircraft from the Airbus, the foreign minister said Bangladesh will buy when its economy permits. Earlier, talking to reporters, the French Ambassador said France wants to start a new exchange programme for young teachers and students with Bangladesh.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
