We want to keep good ties with all; balanced relations with big countries: Foreign Adviser

Staff Correspondent: Newly formed interim government’s Foreign Affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain has laid emphasis on maintaining a balance with the big powers in terms of relations as the interim government begins its journey.

He also said that Bangladesh needs to have good relations with all the countries.

“We want to keep good relations with all. We need to maintain a balance of relations with the big countries,” he told reporters on Friday.

Touhid said restoring law and order is the key priority at this moment and others will be back on track once the first goal is achieved.

Chief adviser of the interim government Prof Muhammad Yunus and other advisers on Friday paid tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar.

They also paid homage to the martyrs of the historic Language Movement by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar.

Nobel laureate and globally acclaimed economist Prof Muhammad Yunus was sworn-in as the chief adviser of the interim government on Thursday night bringing hope for a new journey towards Bangladesh’s democratic future.

The United States has welcomed chief adviser Dr Yunus’s call for an end to the recent violence.

The US reiterated that they stand ready to work with the interim government and Dr Yunus as it charts a democratic future for the people of Bangladesh.

“I’m not going to speak to the private diplomatic conversations, but obviously one of the things that we have made clear is that we want to see the interim government chart a democratic future for the people of Bangladesh,” said US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller while responding to a question at a regular briefing in Washington on Thursday.

Miller said there has been communication with the interim government, and their charge d’affaires attended his swearing-in ceremony in Bangabhaban Thursday night.

Earlier, the US said the interim government will play a vital role in establishing long-term peace and political stability in Bangladesh.

The European Union (EU) has said it looks forward to engaging with the new administration in Bangladesh and to supporting this critical transition.

It said the transition should be part of a peaceful and inclusive process underpinned by good governance, democratic values and respect for human rights.

“The EU welcomes the swearing-in of the members of Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, as they took their oath,” said the EU High Representative Josep Borrell Fontelles in a statement received on Friday.

He said Bangladesh is now entering a period of transition and the interim government will have an important task to prepare the ground for democratic elections and ensure accountability for the deaths and violence that have occurred.

“This is an important moment for the country’s democratic path and the fulfilment of the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh and its youth,” said the EU High Representative.

Sharing the statement from his social media handle, EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley said it was a “privilege” to attend the ceremony and see a “new chapter” in Bangladesh history taking shape.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities as chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government.

“We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities,” he said.

In a message shared through his verified X handle, Modi said India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both their peoples for peace, security and development.

China has noted that Bangladesh has formed an interim government and welcomes it and reiterated that Beijing strictly follows the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs.

“We respect Bangladesh’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and the development path independently chosen by the Bangladeshi people,” said a Spokesperson at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The United Nations will see what kind of formal request it gets from the new government that is formed. “We, of course, stand ready to support the Government and people of Bangladesh in any way that they deem is necessary,” Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General.