We can assist Sierra Leone in ICT, agriculture

Bangladesh is keen to assist Sierra Leone in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, alongside the field of agriculture, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told his Sierra Leonean counterpart on Tuesday in New York.

Momen was briefing reporters on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's engagements, as they are now in New York to attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly.

Talking about a bilateral meeting, he said the Sierra Leone Foreign Minister David J Francis praised Bangladesh for its unprecedented achievements in the overall development of the agricultural sector and ensuring food security.

Francis sought assistance from Bangladesh for the development of these sectors of Sierra Leone.

The Sierra Leone foreign minister also thanked Bangladesh for the contribution of its troops, who worked in the African country under the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission.

In this context, Momen extended his sincere thanks for recognising Bangla as a state language of the African country.

The foreign minister of Sierra Leone also requested to set up a Bangladesh mission in his country.

Momen also joined a high-level meeting of the Rohingya Contact Group of OIC and called for resource mobilisation from OIC members to speed up the ongoing legal process at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), for the repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar.

In reply to a question, he said the Rohingya crisis is not just Bangladesh's problem, it is a global issue. "We've given them shelter on humanitarian ground. But others also have a responsibility here. The countries that are vocal on humanitarian issues and human rights have much larger responsibility here," he said.