Staff correspondent :

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said United States (US) President Joe Biden’s very warm and cordial chats with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina marked a deep-rooted good relation between Dhaka and Washington.

“He (Biden) has all the intensions to build good relations with Bangladesh,” the foreign minister said in a media briefing last night on the Bangladesh premier’s daily engagements in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned Dhaka this afternoon after           attending  the G-20 Summit in New Delhi in India at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

During the media briefing, Momen said Biden earlier remarked that “America has a very beautiful relation with Bangladesh in the last 50 years and it will be further strengthened and solid in the next 50 years”.

“Today, we have seen the sample of it,” he added.

Replying to a query, Momen said: “It (talks among Biden, Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana and Saima Wazed in two separate occasions including in dinner in a very cordial environment) is the evidence that we have a deep and solid relation with Washington and we will further strengthen it in future.”

He said the USA is very keen to further consolidate the relationship with Bangladesh and for which they are sending their people and holding talks.

“They (American government) are not putting any pressure on us rather the media exaggerates,” he said.

In a reply to another question, the foreign minister said Joe Biden, Sheikh Hasina and PM’s daughter Saima Wazed had talks for 15 minutes at Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition Centre at Pragati Maidan in the Indian capital on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit.

“When our Prime Minister was talking to President Biden, he was very happy and fully enthusiastic and the discussion took place in very cordial and warm environment,” he said.

As the Bangladesh premier and her daughter were talking to Biden, PM’s Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin took out his cell phone to take a picture of that moment, he added.

“President Biden took a selfie with his cell phone as well,” Momen also said.

During the talks with Biden, Momen said the Bangladesh premier apprised the US president of her initiatives to give the Bangladesh people a beautiful and dignified life.

“Bangladesh is my family as I have lost my father, mother and brothers who were brutally killed on August 15 in 1975. I am doing everything possible for Bangladesh people’s welfare,” Momen quoted premier as saying.

Sheikh Hasina said she has taken an initiative to give every homeless and landless people a house free of cost as part of her government’s move that none will remain homeless in Bangladesh.

The US president said he knew about her efforts taken for Bangladesh’s overall development and praised Sheikh Hasina’s leadership.

According to Momen, during the talks, the premier invited Biden to visit Bangladesh at his convenient time.

The US president then accepted the premier’s invitation and expressed his desire to visit Bangladesh.

The foreign minister also enunciated the chats between PM’s daughter autism expert Saima Wazed and American President Joe Biden, saying, Saima Wazed told him that she has been working with autism and had worked in Florida.

The US president has shown interest with Saima Wazed’s works and wanted to know about her works, Momen said, adding, “Saima then gave her business card to Biden”.

Biden also invited Saima Wazed to visit the USA.

The foreign minister said the US president had also cordial chats with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana in presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At that time, Sheikh Hasina praised Biden for his speech at the G20 Summit, Momen said.

Replying to another question, he said the prime minister had also cordial talks with other global leaders that included Japanese and Italian prime ministers, German chancellor and Egypt president.

“The people of Bangladesh should be proud of Sheikh Hasina,” Momen continued.

Asked for comments about adverse comments by some groups regarding the exclusive photographs and chats of Biden with Sheikh Hasina and her daughter Momen said it was very regretting.

“It will be very sorrowful if someone raises questions in this regard,” he said.

The foreign minister said a section of people earlier also had questioned about the respect showed to the Bangladesh premier by her British counterpart.

Asked if there was any political talks between Sheikh Hasina and Modi Momen said “when we were there, there were no political talks”.

But, he said, the two premiers informed each other that the elections would be held both in India and Bangladesh next year.

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