Narinjara news


“Bangladesh does not want to interfere in the internal affairs of Burma”

Dhaka, 5^th June 03:  Bangladeshi foreign minister M Morshed Khan when pressed for comments on the recent house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma on 4^th June 03 told reporters at the Foreign Ministry that Bangladesh does not, as a matter of principle, want to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, particularly neighbours.

In the Daily Star he also said, “We also do not want others to interfere in our affairs.”  However the foreign minister hoped that the government, opposition and people of Burma would find a better way to resolve their internal problem.  He was briefing the newsmen on Finance Minister Saifur Rahman’s recent visit to New Delhi. 

He rejected speculations over any discussion or understanding on export of natural gas or transhipment facilities to India and added, “these issues were not even raised by India.”

Earlier Energy Minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain told UNB on a report published in the Times of India on 2^nd June 03, “It’s not correct.  No decision has so far been taken in this regard.  There is a proposal to allow Bangladesh’s land for transmitting gas from Burma and Tripura to West Bengal.  We are reviewing the proposal, but no decision has been made yet.” 

The trade and bilateral relations between the two neighbours have considerably improved over the last few months as both the governments have signed trade, shipping and bilateral treaties to improve existing relations, according to experts. #