Dainikshiksha Desk: Saying that Bangladesh does not want war in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud urged the international community to help de-escalate tensions between Iran and Israel.
"We are for peace, not war. We want to see countries play an active role in de-escalating tensions [between Iran and Israel]. We also call for an end to the killings in Gaza," he said.
Hasan Mahmud made the comments when journalists, after an event at the state guest house Padma, asked him about Iran's drone and missile attacks on Israel.
Iran said the attacks were in retaliation for Israel's attacks on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria early April.
Hasan Mahmud said Iran might not have launched the attacks if it was not attacked first.
"We would hope that the states that can play roles would play their roles to de-escalate Iran-Israel tension," Hasan Mahmud said.
When asked about the release of 23 Bangladeshi sailors and the Bangladeshi-flagged ship MV Abdullah from the captivity of pirates, the foreign minister credited the government and others for their efforts.
The ship has advanced 100 nautical miles towards the United Arab Emirates, accompanied by a ship from the European Union, he informed the journalists.
He also thanked the ship-owning company, KSRM, for its active role in releasing the crew and the ship.
He told journalists that nine more members of the Border Guard Police of Myanmar have entered Bangladesh through Southern Myanmar.
Myanmar and Bangladesh are discussing the repatriation of all 180 members of BGP, including those who previously entered Bangladesh during the Myanmar military's conflict with rebel forces, he said.
Earlier, Hasan Mahmud held a meeting with Antigua and Barbuda Foreign Minister EP Chet Greene, who arrived in Dhaka for a five-day visit yesterday.
He said the two countries have discussed cooperation in technology and training in the tourism sector.
He proposed that the Caribbean country can import pharmaceutical products from Bangladesh, which now exports such products to 140 countries including the US, Canada and the EU. They also discussed exporting RMG, ceramics and leather goods from Bangladesh. source: daily star
