Momen urges UK to remove Bangladesh from Covid red-list

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen, who is now in Europe, in a bilateral meeting with his British counterpart Dominic Raab on Monday called upon the UK to review the red-listing travel restrictions on Bangladesh for Covid-19.

“Given Bangladesh’s robust vaccine roll-out and significant reductions in covid infection to 9.82% and sufferings of more than 7000 British-Bangladeshis currently stranded in Bangladesh, the UK should consider removing Bangladesh from the covid red-list countries,” he said at the meeting held virtually.

In reply, Raab assured that the UK would review the matter and his government is well aware of decreasing covid infections in Bangladesh, a press release said here today.

“I would like to assure that given the long-standing friendship between our two countries, and based on more frequent genomic sequencing data-uploading by Bangladesh, the British Government will review Bangladesh red list,” British foreign secretary of state said.

However, he said, such decisions are reviewed by the Public Health Experts on a regular basis.

During their first official bilateral meeting, the two foreign ministers reaffirmed the historic and value-based relations between Bangladesh and the UK since Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.

They agreed to jointly celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-UK diplomatic relations through exchange of high-level visits and charting an ambitious and ever-expanding Bangladesh-UK post-Brexit strategic partnership.

Discussing the protracted Rohingya crisis and stalemate in the process of safe and sustainable returns, Momen gave historic references to earlier retaliations of Rohingyas by Myanmar.

He also requested the British minister to exert pressure on Myanmar for immediate repatriation of their Rohingyas from Bangladesh.

Mentioning the concern of the British Government on the current political turmoil in Myanmar, Raab reiterated UK’s continued commitment to resolving the Rohingya crisis.

He also said that, together with the ASEAN and fellow G7 countries, UK would put increased pressure on Myanmar for a sustainable resolution of the Rohingya crisis.

Both the ministers expressed deep concern about the current Afghan situation and agreed to work closely to restore regional peace, security and stability.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem joined the meeting.