Momen not in AL’s central body, party won't take responsibility for his statement: Info minister

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen is not a member of the ruling Awami League's (AL) central committee and the party will not take any responsibility for his statement, says Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud.

He said, "The party (AL) or the government will not bear any responsibility for what someone says or does when abroad."

The minister made the remarks while addressing the press at the Secretariat on Sunday.

The foreign minister is not a member of Awami League's central committee. Therefore, he has no business abroad representing the party, he added.

"The people are behind Awami League. I think, if you are in an important position, you need to speak responsibly. However, the minister has said that his statement was distorted," he added.

Foreign Minister Momen, while addressing a Janmashtami programme in JM Sen Hall in Chattogram on 18 August, said he had requested the Indian government to do whatever was necessary to help Bangladesh maintain stability and harmony.

"When I went to New Delhi, I told the Indian government that Sheikh Hasina must be sustained. Bangladesh will continue to march towards development and will truly become a country free of communalism under her leadership," Momen said.

His statement created a stir in the political arena, drawing flak from the BNP which said the government has resorted to foreign countries to survive.

The foreign minister, however, claimed that his statement came out wrongly in the media. He has also alleged that the speech has been spread on purpose.

He comes under fire days after being lambasted over his comment that people in Bangladesh are in heaven compared to those in other countries amid the global recession.

Momen was also criticised earlier for making gratuitous and objectionable statements.