Dhaka - Bangladesh's new civilian government assured
Wednesday that it would work closely with neighbours to restore peace
in South Asia curbing militancy and terrorism.
'We will take effective steps against militancy and terrorism in
consultations with our neighbouring countries,' Dr Dipu Moni, the
newly appointed foreign minister of Sheikh Hasina Wazed's cabinet,
told reporters on her assumption to office.
Dipu Moni, the first woman foreign minister of the country,
underscored the need for collective efforts from South Asian nations,
almost all of which are battered by terrorism, to establish peace
since militancy and terrorism are confined to geographical boundaries.
In her election campaign's agenda for change, Hasina had proposed
a regional taskforce to fight terrorism in South Asia, with
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and other nations jointly working to face
the challenges posed by terrorists - regional or domestic
Asked about her focus on foreign policy, Dipu Moni said the
attention should not be focused on a particular area in the
globalized world.
'Foreign policy should not be dealt on piecemeal basis, it should
be looked into its totality,' she said against the policy of 'looking
east' undertaken by the previous Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led
alliance government of Khaleda Zia.
In one region there may be potentials for exporting Bangladeshi
manpower, in another area there may be opportunities for improving
the relations while in another region it may be urgent for peaceful
cooperation, she said. 'We will peruse the policy of friendship with
all, malice to none.'
The newly appointed Home Minister Sahara Khatun also sought
cooperation from all concerned in rooting out extremism and terrorism.
'We will surely be successful to root out extremism, terrorism
through effective measures against these evils,' Sahara, also the
first woman home minister of the country, told reporters at her new
office.
Following a landslide victory in December 29 polls, Hasina formed
Tuesday a 32-member council of ministers to run the country for next
five years. Her government started working from Wednesday.
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