<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Bangladesh's Dr AK Abdul Momen today (May 22, 2023) said there is no reason for new sanctions, and if that happens it will be very unfortunate.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said he does not have any idea on new sanctions as it depends on individual countries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We hope good sense will prevail,” Momen told reporters at a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The briefing was arranged to inform the media on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Qatar visit that begins this afternoon. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Seheli Sabrin, among others, was present.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly protested and condemned part of a media report, terming it “false, baseless” and done with an “ulterior motive.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The foreign minister reiterated that he had never worked as a Chinese firm’s lobbyist before becoming a minister.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rather, he said, he stayed in the US and worked there. “This (the media report) is something very strange,” he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“It was very strange and surprising. No reference (source) is mentioned,” Momen said regarding the , g.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He referred to Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque who also said there is no reason to impose sanctions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Referring to the news published in the daily Kalbela newspaper, titled “US sanctions coming, government remains ready,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last night said in a part of the report, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen “was defamed.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The report mentioned that Dr Momen worked as a lobbyist for a Chinese organization before becoming a minister. “It is completely false and baseless,” the ministry said in a media release.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Through such lies about AK Abdul Momen, the image of the government has been tarnished along with defaming him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>