Govt working to open more diplomatic missions

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, today in the parliament, said the government is working to increase the number of Bangladeshi missions abroad to 100, from existing 77, within 2021.

The minister came up with the information while replying to a query from Jatiya Party lawmaker Syed Abu Hossain from Dhaka-4 constituency.

“The Foreign Ministry has planned to open foreign missions in the diplomatically important countries gradually,” he said in a scripted answer.

The minister also said that currently Bangladesh has 77 missions in 58 countries.

Recently, the foreign ministry has completed its administrative process to open missions in Bucharest (Romania) and Chennai (India) while cabinet has approved to set up a consulate general in Florida (USA).

Besides, Public Administration Ministry has approved to open missions in Wallington (New Zealand), Dublin (Ireland) Buenos Aires (Argentina), Guangzhou (China), Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Frankfurt (Germany), according to the foreign ministry.

“Very soon it [proposal] will be sent to the Finance Ministry for their approval. Proposal for opening of two other missions in Johor Bahru (Malaysia) and Oslo (Norway) is under the consideration of Finance Ministry also,” the minister said.

The foreign minister while replying to another query from Awami League MP Benjir Ahmed (Dhaka-20) said that the government is implementing a project to construct or procure building of 31 missions and ambassadors’/high commissioners’ residences in different countries of the world by 2024.

The project is being implemented in three phases from 2016, he said.

In the first phase, construction of buildings has been completed in Riyadh and Tokyo. Procurement of chancery building and ambassadors’/high commissioners’ residences in Copenhagen, Rome and Los Angeles were done.

He also said the project to construct buildings on own land in Ankara, Bandar Seri Begawan, Islamabad, Thimpu, Berlin, Riyadh and Jeddah is on.