Pak �request� to recall diplomat condemned

The call for withdrawal of a diplomat from Bangladesh high commission in Islamabad is not at all helpful for the relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said yesterday.
Pakistan, on Tuesday, asked Bangladesh to withdraw Moushumi Rahman, counsellor (political) and head of chancery at the Bangladesh mission in Islamabad, from the country within 48 hours.
“She (the Bangladeshi diplomat) was not expelled or declared PNG (persona non grata). We could not quite understand what they told us informally. We can understand that they did so to save their face,” the state minister told a group of reporters at his office.
He also said that Pakistan failed to cite any reason to our high commissioner as to why Bangladesh was requested to take the diplomat back.
“We can certainly say that this is not going to help the relationship. It takes a lot of patience, lot of doings. But, this type of action will never help improve relationship with another country,” Shahriar said.
He also said that Moushumi Rahman has done a great job and that Bangladesh could foresee such retaliation after a Pakistani diplomat was withdrawn few weeks ago.
“We prepared accordingly. And, we posted her to a different place. She will be joining there at the earliest,” he added. According to sources concerned, Moushumi Rahman will be joining the Bangladesh mission in Lisbon, Portugal.

“As we said we are closely observing the situation,” said the state minister, adding that Dhaka will not allow anybody to do anything against its independence, sovereignty and law and order using diplomatic immunity.
About the next course of action on Bangladesh’s part, he said, “There was no explanation from them as to why the request was made to withdraw the Bangladeshi diplomat. We don’t want to be a part of anyone’s domestic politics. We don’t want to be part of their issues.”
“We will be as patient as necessary to maintain the bilateral relationship as we did in the recent past also in places of other neighbouring countries,” Shahriar said.
In this case with Pakistan, in particular, Dhaka will closely monitor the situation, he said.
To a question, the state minister said there is no plan yet to downgrade Bangladesh’s diplomatic presence in Pakistan because both the countries have good enough number of common interests in terms of trade and other bilateral and multilateral affairs.
About the statement by a minister that severing diplomatic ties with Pakistan will be discussed in the coming session of parliament, he said all the matters related to national interests can be discussed in the House.
Things like unacceptable position on question of Bangladesh’s independence and twisting of history will never be acceptable to Bangladesh, he added.
Asked what will happen if Pakistan crosses the limit of diplomatic norms, the state minister said, “We are not ruling out any possibility.”
However, he mentioned incidents of diplomatic problems between Pakistan and its neighbours, saying that there have been ups and downs in the relationship, but it has been maintained at a minimum level.
Shahriar reiterated that Bangladesh would never compromise with its national interest, history of 1971, and the war crimes trial.

 

Pak �request� to recall diplomat condemned

The call for withdrawal of a diplomat from Bangladesh high commission in Islamabad is not at all helpful for the relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said yesterday. Pakistan, on Tuesday, asked Bangladesh to withdraw Moushumi Rahman, counsellor (political) and head of chancery at the Bangladesh mission in Islamabad, from the country within 48 hours. She (the Bangladeshi diplomat) was not expelled or declared PNG (persona non grata). We could not quite understand what they told us informally. We can understand that they did so to save their face, the state minister told a group of reporters at his office. He also said that Pakistan failed to cite any reason to our high commissioner as to why Bangladesh was requested to take the diplomat back. We can certainly say that this is not going to help the relationship. It takes a lot of patience, lot of doings. But, this type of action will never help improve relationship with another country, Shahriar said. He also said that Moushumi Rahman has done a great job and that Bangladesh could foresee such retaliation after a Pakistani diplomat was withdrawn few weeks ago. We prepared accordingly. And, we posted her to a different place. She will be joining there at the earliest, he added. According to sources concerned, Moushumi Rahman will be joining the Bangladesh mission in Lisbon, Portugal. As we said we are closely observing the situation, said the state minister, adding that Dhaka will not allow anybody to do anything against its independence, sovereignty and law and order using diplomatic immunity. About the next course of action on Bangladeshs part, he said, There was no explanation from them as to why the request was made to withdraw the Bangladeshi diplomat. We dont want to be a part of anyones domestic politics. We dont want to be part of their issues. We will be as patient as necessary to maintain the bilateral relationship as we did in the recent past also in places of other neighbouring countries, Shahriar said. In this case with Pakistan, in particular, Dhaka will closely monitor the situation, he said. To a question, the state minister said there is no plan yet to downgrade Bangladeshs diplomatic presence in Pakistan because both the countries have good enough number of common interests in terms of trade and other bilateral and multilateral affairs. About the statement by a minister that severing diplomatic ties with Pakistan will be discussed in the coming session of parliament, he said all the matters related to national interests can be discussed in the House. Things like unacceptable position on question of Bangladeshs independence and twisting of history will never be acceptable to Bangladesh, he added. Asked what will happen if Pakistan crosses the limit of diplomatic norms, the state minister said, We are not ruling out any possibility. However, he mentioned incidents of diplomatic problems between Pakistan and its neighbours, saying that there have been ups and downs in the relationship, but it has been maintained at a minimum level. Shahriar reiterated that Bangladesh would never compromise with its national interest, history of 1971, and the war crimes trial.