Staff Correspondent: Dhaka, Aug-17,
State Minister for
Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam has said Bangladesh wants to see lasting
peace in Afghanistan that has gone through many ups and downs, noting that the
current situation has an impact on South Asian politics.
He said Bangladesh
expects that there will be no black chapter in like past but people’s rights
will be established.
The State Minister said
Bangladesh will decide the nature of its relations with Afghanistan observing
the situation closely and considering how things move ahead.
“We’re ready to help
Afghanistan when we feel that there’s a stable government in place with
people’s mandate,” he told reporters on Monday.
The State Minister said
things are still premature as the situation is evolving and Bangladesh cannot
welcome it until there is a permanent government. “We’ll extend our helping
hand timely.”
Referring to Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina, Shahriar said the Prime Minister repeatedly talked
about regional peace and prosperity.
He said South Asia’s
potential and opportunity remained unexplored for a long time and Bangladesh
wants to see that peace is restored in Afghanistan.
Earlier, the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said Bangladesh is carefully observing the fast
evolving situation in Afghanistan, which, Bangladesh believes, may have an
impact on the region and beyond.
"We urge all
stakeholders in Afghanistan to maintain peace and calm ensuring safety and
security of all including foreign nationals," said the Ministry in a
statement.
Bangladesh said it
would be happy to continue to work with the people of Afghanistan and the
international community for the socio-economic development of the country.
Bangladesh and
Afghanistan share historical and cultural linkages. It is a fellow member of
SAARC and an integral part of South Asia.
Bangladesh recalled the
invaluable support extended by the government and the people of Afghanistan to
Bangladesh during the War of Liberation.
"Bangladesh is
committed to working with Afghanistan for fulfilling the visionary policy of
the Prime Minister that the region must grow and prosper together for this
development to be sustainable," the statement reads.
Bangladesh believes
that a democratic and pluralistic Afghanistan as chosen by its people is the
only guarantee of stability and development in the country.
In this regard,
Bangladesh considers itself a potential development partner and a friend of
Afghanistan.
"We stand ready to
share our best practices with Afghanistan in a range of areas, such as basic
education, community healthcare, sanitation, human resources development,
agriculture, climate change adaptation, disaster management and ICT enabled
public service delivery," said the Ministry.
Bangladesh firmly
believes that it is upon the people of Afghanistan to rebuild their country and
decide the course of the future themselves.
Bangladesh wishes to
see Afghanistan as a peaceful, stable, prosperous, responsible and contributing
member of the South Asian region and the global community.
End/Dct/Msi/Sma/
