The government is considering a Chinese proposal to help Bangladesh build a deep seaport at Sonadia in Chittagong, foreign secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes told a press briefing on Saturday.
Asked about the government's decision on the Chinese proposal, he said, 'It is still in the preliminary
stage.' China conveyed its willingness to help Bangladesh construct the deep seaport during the visit of its vice president Xi Jinping to Dhaka in June 2010 and the visit of Bangladesh foreign minister Dipu Moni to Beijing last week.
'The negotiations for giving the willingness a concrete shape is yet to begin' as 'the decisions about who would finance the deep seaport and how are yet to be made', Quayes said. 'It requires a huge engagement of the ministries concerned.'
However, the foreign secretary claimed that there was 'no dearth of seriousness' on the part of both sides [Beijing and Dhaka].
He said China proposed to provide 150 million Renminbi as a grant to Bangladesh.
Quayes also said the government would convey its decision to the United Nations headquarters soon for signing the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime to contain money laundering.
Asked whether this move would help the government bring back Arafat Rahman, the youngest son of Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, who was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, home, he said the home ministry was responsible to deal with the issue.
A Dhaka court on June 24 sentenced Arafat Rahman to six years' rigorous imprisonment for laundering more than Tk 20 crore to Singapore.
Asked about misconducts by a section of Bangladesh ambassadors including the ambassador in Tokyo, he said the
ministry took actions against the people concerned. The secretary, however, did not elaborate the steps taken against them.
Additional foreign secretary Mustafa Kamal and directors general of foreign ministry M Sufiur Rahman, Monirul Islam, and M Shameem Ahsan were also present at the briefing.
Source : New Age
No comments:
Post a Comment