The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Outgoing Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury yesterday said his successor would have a challenging but most satisfying responsibility as the new government is poised to assume office today.

Talking to UNB he said the responsibility of his successor, whoever, would be to continue to project Bangladesh to the international community as a "constructive and responsible global actor".

Citing the adage 'charity begins at home', he said all

foreign policies must begin with looking at the neighborhood or region first.

Iftekhar, a diplomat with a checkered career, suggested that issues with India ad Myanmar must be resolved peacefully through diplomatic maneuvering within a short timeframe. The issues of maritime boundaries must be resolved by 2011.

" I will not hesitate to say that it took a lot of skills and patience and diplomatic maneuvering to defuse the tension in the Bay of Bengal, particularly with Myanmar and, to a lesser extent, with India," he said, referring to gas exploratory ships of Myanmar and survey ships of India in the disputed waters.

Further spelling out his diplomatic tips Iftekhar said, "As we approach these issues, we've to ensure that our sovereignty is protected and the people of Bangladesh feel secured."

With development partners of Bangladesh, he said, it is important to retain a relationship that would ensure continued support and market access of Bangladeshi manufacturers to their countries.

Politically, he said, "Russia and China must be kept on the right side."

About relations with the Muslim countries, the Foreign Adviser said the Muslim countries are important not just because of shared values but also because they host a huge number of expatriate Bangladeshis. "We must continue to send our excess workers abroad," he noted.

This year, he said, the expatriate workers sent remittances worth a record amount of 8.75 billion dollars, but "our worker abroad is not just a remittance-generating machine. He is a human being, most of all, and more importantly, a Bangladeshi for whom the country can feel pride".

He said, "In order to protect their interest we must try and enter into and sign MOUs on labor exchange with as many host countries as possible."

On peacekeeping operations, Iftekhar said Bangladesh must remain active in the peacekeeping arena. "This is our biggest contribution to the United Nations. It also enables the world to see us as a global stabilizer," he said, adding: "We must always have troops and equipment ready to deploy abroad at short notice."

Chowdhury said these are goals that are not unachievable provided the nation stands united behind these efforts.

Iftekhar, who will say goodbye to the Foreign Ministry tomorrow, said, "As an ordinary citizen from now on, my helping hand will always remain extended towards my successor."