The New Nation - Internet Edition

bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni has sought documentary support from Britain to make the war crimes trial more transparent.

She left for Singapore on Friday to attend a security summit, Shangri-La Dialogue, and met several world leaders including British minister of international defence and security Baroness Ann Taylor Bolton, the foreign ministry said in a press statement on Sunday.

Dipu Moni informed Ann Taylor of the government's efforts to try the war criminals of Bangladesh and said relevant archives and old records available in the UK would be useful in the trial.

The foreign minister also met US secretary of defence Robert Gates, who assured her of providing co-operation in defence.

"Dipu Moni met the US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and discussed the existing relations and cooperation in different sectors of the two countries," said the foreign ministry.

"Gates assured Dipu Moni that the cooperation in all sectors including the defense would continue," it said.

The foreign minister also met her Sri Lankan counterpart Rohitha Bogollagama.

"She also informed Bogollagama that the government of Bangladesh was pursuing the trial of the criminals in Bangladesh accused of this heinous crime and sought cooperation from all concerned," said the foreign ministry.

The Sri Lankan foreign minister termed this as an "internal affair" of Bangladesh which had every right to pursue such trial, it said.

Dipu Moni met Singapore foreign minister George Yong-Boon Yeo and informed him of "the impending war crime trial for the collaborators in Bangladesh".

"[She] raised the issue of recognition of education degrees of Bangladesh by the Singaporean educational institutes so that students of Bangladesh can pursue higher education in Singapore.

She also proposed to easing of visa requirements for the Bangladeshis especially for the patients and students.