State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam stated that there is currently no positive or confirmed information regarding Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s potential visit to India. She clarified that once the visit is finalized, an official announcement will be made directly by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). She outlined these government positions during an urgent media briefing held on Tuesday (August 18) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the press conference, State Minister Shama Obaed raised strong objections to claims made in a recent UN report regarding Al-Qaeda activity in Bangladesh. She expressed concern that such narratives could be a remnant of political propaganda generated by the ousted fascist regime. She confirmed that Bangladesh currently possesses no intelligence indicating such security threats and will directly request the UN to share the specific evidentiary sources backing their claims.
Regarding the Rohingya crisis, the State Minister noted that Bangladesh does not agree with the verification numbers submitted by the Myanmar junta. This disagreement has been officially communicated to Myanmar’s ambassador in Dhaka. She reaffirmed that Bangladesh seeks a permanent, dignified, and safe return for refugees rather than a stopgap solution, urging Myanmar to expedite its verification procedures under favorable conditions.
