Bangladesh seeks US action over harassment of Prof Yunus: Kobir

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir today (13 October) said Bangladesh would strongly pursue the harassment of former chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus with the United States government and seek legal action against those responsible.

"We condemn this strongly," Kobir told journalists at the foreign ministry this afternoon, describing the harassment of the former interim government chief adviser and Nobel Peace Prize laureate as completely unacceptable.

The state minister said US law enforcement agencies should examine footage of the incident, identify those involved and take appropriate action.

"This kind of harassment against him or any citizen of our country is totally unacceptable. The government of Bangladesh will take it up very strongly," he said.

The state minister said those responsible should be held accountable.

Responding to questions about protocol arrangements for Yunus during overseas visits, Kobir noted that Prof Yunus attended private events and that arrangements could depend on whether the government had been informed of his travel and engagements.

Regardless of whether prior notification had been given, harassment of a former chief adviser could not be taken lightly, he said.

Kobir alleged that some people who had fled Bangladesh were inciting violence abroad and providing funds to destabilise the country.

He said Bangladesh needed to work with its bilateral partners to track down those involved in such activities and take a strong stand against harassment of its citizens overseas.

Turning to developments in the Middle East, Kobir said peace and stability in the region were of direct importance to Bangladesh because of its large expatriate workforce and economic and energy interests.

He said approximately eight million Bangladeshi workers were living in the region, making their safety and welfare a major national priority.

The state minister referred to recent deaths of Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia and stressed the need to protect workers in areas affected by war and conflict.

Their wellbeing, including mental health, remained a top priority, he said.

Kobir said the government was maintaining contact through relevant channels to ensure that affected workers received assistance, their families were kept informed and consular services were extended wherever necessary.

Asked about diplomatic efforts to end the regional conflict, he said various stakeholders were engaging through formal diplomatic channels as well as informal and back-channel discussions.

The conflict was hurting countries economically and affecting their energy interests, he said, adding that a peaceful resolution required collective efforts.

Kobir also said Bangladesh would positively consider proposals to contribute to safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East and beyond, drawing on its experience in UN peacekeeping.

"We will always think positively about any kind of proposal that comes to Bangladesh to participate in safeguarding peace and stability," he said.

Outlining his upcoming engagements, Kobir said he would leave for Azerbaijan tonight and attend a gathering of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia on 15 and 16 October.

He said the gathering would bring together ministers dealing with foreign affairs, security policy and related matters.

Greater engagement with Central Asia was necessary, he said, describing the region as an emerging avenue for Bangladesh's foreign policy.

From Azerbaijan, Kobir said he would travel to Baghdad to participate in an OIC foreign ministers' meeting on 17 October  and lead the Bangladesh delegation.He would also deliver a statement on behalf of the government.

The state minister said Iraq's experience of prolonged conflict and the emergence of new opportunities made the visit significant for exploring further engagement.

Asked about an interministerial meeting on consular affairs he chaired earlier in the day, Kobir said the discussions focused mainly on operational matters and improving service delivery.

He said the government was examining facilities and procedures to ensure that people received efficient consular services.

"The prime minister is very much interested in service improvement in that area," he said.