Bangladesh will stand by Sri Lanka - Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary

Bangladesh has reassured unstinted support for Sri Lanka at international fora. This message was conveyed to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque at a meeting at Temple Tress yesterday. “We stand by our Sri Lankan brothers on the issue of human rights,” Haque told President Rajapaksa. “It’s an internal matter and we are confident of the leadership. We don’t want to see this brought up (in international fora) at any level.”

Noting that he last visited Sri Lanka more than five years ago, Secretary Haque said he is “very impressed and pleasantly surprised by the development that has taken place since his last visit.

Haque also briefed President Rajapaksa on the purpose of the current visit, which is to assess ongoing collaborations and explore new sectors of cooperation including the areas of trade and shipping.

Others in the Bangladeshi delegation included the High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Colombo Mohammad Sufiur Raaman, a joint secretary of Bangladesh’s Shipping Ministry Nasir Arif Mahmud and Director (South Asia) of the Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Ministry Tareq Md. Ariful Islam. Ports and Highways Deputy Minister Nirmala Kothalawala, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunatilake Amunugama also present.