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Not worried about next elections: FM


Published : 02 Jan 2023 09:37 PM | Updated : 03 Jan 2023 05:33 PM

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Monday said they were not that much worried about the next national elections and that the election would be held “timely and fairly”.

“We believe in people,” he told reporters while replying to a question at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Election will be held at the time of election,” he said, adding that the government is committed to holding a "free, fair, transparent and inclusive" election.

Briefing the journalists, the minister said that all the missions abroad have been asked to find ways and means to enhance export and the FDI.

 “We have told our envoys to work on how to find new markets for our products and to suggest what kind of products are in demand in the countries where they are posted”.

 The missions are also asked to counter any disinformation about the country proactively.

 “Usually they do not respond to such false propaganda on their own. Rather, they are waiting for our direction but I have told them that they are the extension of the foreign ministry and they should be responsive proactively,” the minister added.

 Dr Momen said that the missions were also asked to list the names of eminent personalities in their respective countries aiming at engaging these people in public diplomacy on behalf of Bangladesh.

 To greet on the first day of the New Year, he addressed the Heads of Bangladesh Missions abroad and senior officials on Sunday evening virtually.

 The minister listed the government's foreign policy priorities while giving them the guidelines to be pursued in 2023.

 Momen suggested the Bangladesh envoys abroad to find effective ways to learn lessons from those countries and their best practices to build a "Smart Bangladesh."

 He said regional peace and stability must be ensured for sustainable development.

 Meanwhile, the government has decided to deal with "anti-government propaganda" at home and abroad in a "coordinated way" and fight against misinformation by presenting correct information.

 Representatives from the relevant ministries and departments will sit regularly to find effective ways to present correct information about Bangladesh against fabrication and misinformation.

 The decision was taken at a meeting held at the state guesthouse Padma on Sunday with the Foreign Minister in the chair.

 Law Minister Anisul Huq, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and representatives from law enforcement agencies were present.

 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate the work.

 "It's not a technical committee, it's a coordination committee," the foreign minister said, replying to a question.

The committee would also gather positive news regarding Bangladesh, he said.

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