West have congratulated new govt; efforts will be there to boost ties with all: Hasan Mahmud

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Friday said all the ambassadors and high commissioners in Dhaka, including those from the US, the UK and the European Union have congratulated the newly elected government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her taking office for the fourth consecutive term.

"Look, yesterday [Thursday] at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government's Cabinet at Bangabhaban, the ambassadors and high commissioners of almost all countries, including the US, the UK and the EU, were present. They all went to congratulate the current government," said the newly appointed foreign minister.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, they have taken the country forward by facing all the challenges, he said after laying wreaths at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi 32 along with the newly formed Cabinet members on Friday.

"The prime minister entrusted me with the responsibility of the foreign ministry. InshAllah, despite facing this challenge, we will move the country forward and brighten the country's image, and improve relations with the East and the West," he said.

Responding to a question, he said there is always a kind of satisfaction in facing challenges which do not exist in other areas.

"The Ministry of Information was a challenge. I met that challenge with your help. It's definitely a challenge in the global context and the fact that there are wars going on in different parts of the world now," said the foreign minister.

"The main motto of our foreign policy is not enmity with anyone, but good relations with everyone and with that principle we will develop closer relations with everyone," he said.

In the political context, the foreign minister said, "I saw in newspapers today [Friday], the BNP broke the lock and entered their office. But they locked their office themselves. They are locking and they are breaking – it's like a drama being shown."

The foreign minister said the BNP themselves installed this lock, and no one went there for 75 days.

"The key has been lost on purpose or the key is there, still this is an attempt to mislead people by making a drama of breaking the lock," he said.

After the 7 January election, India, China, Russia and many others congratulated Sheikh Hasina on her election victory.

The US, the UK, the EU and Canada, however, refrained from congratulating Sheikh Hasina on her election win as they questioned the fairness of the polls.

"The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair, and we regret that not all parties participated," US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement issued on 8 January.

The same day, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement, "Democratic elections depend on credible, open, and fair competition. Respect for human rights, rule of law and due process are essential elements of the democratic process. These standards were not consistently met during the election period."

On 9 January, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said in a statement, "The EU regrets that not all major parties participated in this election."