Momen slams Bangladeshi expat's killing in US, denounces hate crime

Referring to the killing of a Bangladeshi in the US, Foreign Minister  AK Abdul Momen on Friday said Bangladesh does not want any hate crime anywhere in the world.

“The Bangladeshi community there (US) are alleging it to be a hate crime,” Momen told reporters about the death of a Bangladeshi expatriate after being shot by the police at Cambridge in Massachusetts of the US on Thursday.

Earlier, he inaugurated the three-day "Peace Run Bangladesh" by lighting the peace torch at the Suhrawardy Udyan premises in the capital on Friday.

“We want to stop racism, communal violence and establish peace in the world,” Momen said.

Regarding the Bangladesh visit of US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, Momen said it is very good news that he is coming. "He is like a policymaker in this area. We welcome him.”

Donald Lu became Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs on September 15, 2021.

“We’ve a very good relationship with the US. We have multifaceted engagements with the US. There will be talks on different issues when he (Donald Lu) comes.”

He also hoped Donald Lu’s visit will help strengthen the good relationship between the two countries.

Replying to a question from the reporters on the US sanctions on Rab, the minister said bilateral relation is not determined by a single issue.

“The US is our biggest consumer and our biggest investor. With engagements on many areas, we don't have to worry about just one issue. We both have common values and principles.”

He said the US wants a democratic system and Bangladesh also wants a democratic system.

“The US wants to uphold human rights. We want, too. Three million people of Bangladesh have sacrificed their lives for human rights, justice and democracy,” he added.

“We will talk about many things. It is open. Many issues will be discussed," he said.