Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni told the House that a total of 2,449 Bangladesh nationals are in the prisons of 32 countries at present and the government is trying to bring them back home through diplomatic efforts.
In her written statement in the house the FM, mentioned that of those ill-fated Bangladeshi citizens, some 843 are in Malaysia, 375 in the United Arab Emirates, 188 in Britain, 180 in Singapore, 173 in Algeria, 161 in Oman and 125 are in Qatar.
Dr Dipu Moni claimed that the Government has taken all possible initiatives through its missions and legal procedure as well as utilising its office to pursue the countries for freeing Bangladesh detainees.
Responding to a question of JSD (Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal) legislator, the Foreign Minister mentioned the latest available figure which was read out by State Minister for Forests and Environment Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday in the parliament. In absence of the foreign minister, who is now in New York City to attend the 65th General Assembly session of the United States. In reply to another question Dipu Moni said that there is no friendship treaty between Bangladesh and any country in the world now.
Replying to a question of Jatiya Party (Ershad) legislator Md Mujibul Huq Chunnu, the Minister said that full-fledged Bangladesh diplomatic missions or consulates would soon be opened in Kabul in Afghanistan, Freetown in Sierra Leon, Abuja in Nigeria, Lisbon in Portugal, Port Luis in Mauritius, Beirut in Lebanon, Kun Ming in China, Milan in Italy and Mexico, Vienna in Austria and Denmark. Four other missions, which were closed earlier, would be opened in Brazil, Algeria, Poland and Romania in the current fiscal.
Dr Dipu Moni added that all formalities including budgetary allocation had already been completed to open Bangladesh diplomatic mission in Khartoum in Sudan.
Dipu Moni said Bangladesh government has decided to take recourse to international laws as the maritime boundary issue with Myanmar could not be resolved through bi-lateral talks between the two neighbours. She added that Bangladesh filed a suit against Myanmar to get redress of the maritime issue in the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) 1982.
The Foreign Minister also said that the case is under trial of the ITLOS now.
Replying to a supplementary of Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, Dr Hasan Mahmud said that the diplomatic training module has been changed for rendering better services to the workers of the country working in different countries. He added that the labour wings in Bangladesh missions abroad would be strengthened where required.
