DHAKA, June 30, 2020 (BSS) – Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has sought US investment in Bangladesh’s health sector through its International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) fund as the current unprecedented situation amid the pandemic has exposed need for global partnership in healthcare system.
He also urged the US to waive off export duties on Bangladeshi ready-made garment (RMG) products for two years considering that many of the US buyers have cancelled their import orders from here amid COVIOD-19 pandemic resulting in job cut of local RMG workers, mostly women.
Momen made the urges at a telephone conversation with his US counterpart Michael R. Pompeo on Monday evening, a foreign ministry press release said here today.
The US secretary of state Pompeo Lauded Bangladesh government’s initiatives in containing the pandemic and assured his country’s continued cooperation in this regard.
The Bangladesh foreign minister urged the US to take further stronger action against Myanmar as Naypyidaw has been prolonging the implementation process of the agreement to take back the Rohingyas, who were forcibly displaced in Bangladesh.
Momen also expressed his concern over recent military crackdown in Rakhine state in Myanmar, the land of origin of the Rohingyas.
Pompeo commended Bangladesh’s continued generosity in hosting the Rohingyas and mentioned that the US has so far contributed nearly $820 million in humanitarian assistance addressing the crisis.
The US secretary of state lauded Bangladesh’s success in securing an elevated status to ‘Tire-2’ at the TIP report, an US global ranking of countries with human trafficking records.
Momen also urged Pempeo to take necessary steps to deport Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s convicted killer Rashed Chowdhury, who is currently residing in the US, so that Bangladesh can execute the verdict of Bangabandhu murder trial.
Both the foreign ministers laid emphasis on further strengthening the current excellent bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the USA.
Meanwhile, regarding the teleconference, a press release of the US State Department said Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Momen reviewed the more than $43 million in COVID-19 assistance that the US has provided thus far to Bangladesh and discussed Dhaka’s critical role in the international response to the pandemic by manufacturing emergency medical and protective supplies.
The two leaders renewed commitments to support the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of the Rohingyas to Burma (Myanmar), said the release.