No Reason to Worry About New US Sanctions: Momen

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said there is “no reason to worry” about new US sanctions, and described Bangladesh, US ties as “very good”.

“The US puts sanctions in thousands. These (sanctions) come one way and go another way,” he told reporters when asked whether the government is concerned about new sanctions from the US, reports UNB.

“There is nothing to worry or panic about,” he added while talking to the media after he spoke as the chief guest at the BIISS Research Colloquium 2022, organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) at the BIISS auditorium in Dhaka.

Momen also said the US puts sanctions when they want to put pressure, and that there are examples of withdrawing those sanctions.

Citing multifaceted engagements between the two countries, the foreign minister said the US comes up with suggestions at times as there is a cordial relationship between the two countries.

The US embassy said they raised the December 14 incident in Dhaka’s Shaheenbagh area at the “highest levels” of the Bangladesh government, as well as with the Bangladesh embassy in Washington DC.

“The US ambassador (Peter Haas) is a bit panicked about his security. Our ambassador said there is no reason to get panicked,” Momen had said on Monday.

BIISS Chairman Ambassador Kazi Imtiaz Hossain and its Director General Major General Sheikh Pasha Habib Uddin also spoke at the BIISS Research Colloquium 2022.

The event was divided into three sessions. In each session, three speakers presented their recent research that concerns Bangladesh's national interest.

Session one was on Bangladesh’s regional and global outreach which was chaired by BIISS chairman, while session two was on security and strategic affairs, chaired by former Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh, General (retd) Md Abdul Mubeen.

The third session highlighted “Diplomacy and Negotiations”, which was chaired by Professor Dr Imtiaz Ahmed.