Sheikh Hasina's phone conversation with the President, what the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said

Photo: Collected

News Desk: State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no information regarding any alleged phone conversation between ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Mohammed Shahabuddin during the President's medical visit to Singapore. She added that if such a conversation did take place, the matter would be investigated.

Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday (23 July), the state minister said the ministry had not received any specific information regarding the issue.

"We have not received any confirmed information on this matter. If it is found to be true, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will certainly investigate it, and the government will also conduct an investigation," she said.

Responding to a question about the visit of the U.S. envoy to Dhaka, Shama Obaed said Bangladesh maintains a broad bilateral relationship with the United States.

"I believe the discussions will focus on further strengthening our trade relations, diplomacy, and economic diplomacy, and on how we can advance these areas in the future," she said.

Asked whether Bangladesh is concerned about the ongoing student protests in India, given the presence of many Bangladeshi nationals there, the state minister said Bangladesh, as a democratic country, hopes to see peace and stability maintained throughout the region.

"As a democratic government and state, we hope that India, as the world's largest democracy, will respond to the concerns of its people and move swiftly toward resolving the situation," she said.

The state minister also rejected claims that the quality or international standing of the Bangladeshi passport has deteriorated, stating that the current visa-related challenges are primarily linked to issues involving irregular migration.

Addressing journalists, she said, "The standard of the Bangladeshi passport has not declined. Our government has been in office for only four and a half months. The visa-related problems existed even before we assumed office, particularly in countries where many Bangladeshis are employed, such as the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, where visa services remain suspended."

She noted that there are several reasons behind the suspension of visas and said that over the past two to three weeks, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has held multiple meetings with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment to address the issue.

The state minister added that discussions are ongoing with the relevant countries to find practical solutions to the visa-related challenges.