Foreign Ministry clarification over Iftekhar's foreign visits
Saturday, 11 October 2008
The Foreign Ministry Friday refuted the reports in a section of newspapers questioning the frequent foreign visits of Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, reports UNB.
It stated that a record number of 1.5 million (15 lakh) Bangladeshi workers were employed abroad in the past 21 months earning remittance of about $13.5 billion following the Foreign Adviser's multi-faceted diplomatic efforts in foreign countries.
The Ministry further said that since Adviser Iftekhar holds the charge of the Expatriate Welfare Ministry and the chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), he has to maintain relations with different international organisations including the United Nations and to develop bilateral relations with different countries.
Besides, he has to increase diplomatic contacts, ensure welfare of Bangladeshi expatriate workers, increase remittance, sign agreements with those countries and create new markets for Bangladeshi workforce.
The Ministry said it is compulsory on the part of the Foreign Minister/Foreign Adviser to maintain contact with the Head of the Government. It said the international conferences where the Foreign Adviser had represented Bangladesh, Foreign Ministers of other countries also participated.
Being the Adviser to the Foreign Ministry and the Expatriate Welfare Ministry, Iftekhar had to take part in OIC Foreign Ministers’ Conference, SAARC Foreign Ministers’ Conference, ARF Conference, Asian Cooperation Dialogue, BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Conference, Commonwealth Foreign Ministers’ Conference, Shangrila Dialogue and Conference of labour exporting and labour recipient countries.
The Ministry said that due to maintaining persistent diplomatic contacts with the UN and its efforts, Bangladesh had been able to send a huge number of peacekeepers to the UN peacekeeping mission and for the first time achieved the command position in Georgia and Liberia.
It stated that a record number of 1.5 million (15 lakh) Bangladeshi workers were employed abroad in the past 21 months earning remittance of about $13.5 billion following the Foreign Adviser's multi-faceted diplomatic efforts in foreign countries.
The Ministry further said that since Adviser Iftekhar holds the charge of the Expatriate Welfare Ministry and the chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), he has to maintain relations with different international organisations including the United Nations and to develop bilateral relations with different countries.
Besides, he has to increase diplomatic contacts, ensure welfare of Bangladeshi expatriate workers, increase remittance, sign agreements with those countries and create new markets for Bangladeshi workforce.
The Ministry said it is compulsory on the part of the Foreign Minister/Foreign Adviser to maintain contact with the Head of the Government. It said the international conferences where the Foreign Adviser had represented Bangladesh, Foreign Ministers of other countries also participated.
Being the Adviser to the Foreign Ministry and the Expatriate Welfare Ministry, Iftekhar had to take part in OIC Foreign Ministers’ Conference, SAARC Foreign Ministers’ Conference, ARF Conference, Asian Cooperation Dialogue, BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Conference, Commonwealth Foreign Ministers’ Conference, Shangrila Dialogue and Conference of labour exporting and labour recipient countries.
The Ministry said that due to maintaining persistent diplomatic contacts with the UN and its efforts, Bangladesh had been able to send a huge number of peacekeepers to the UN peacekeeping mission and for the first time achieved the command position in Georgia and Liberia.