Bangladesh will decide its policy on Afghanistan independently, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momin said, adding the policy of India or Pakistan on the issue was not of much importance to his country.

“Bangladesh always decides its foreign policy in its own interest and very independently,” Momin said during an interview with BBC Bangla, asserting that other nations’ views won’t have much impact on his country’s decision.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on 15 August, toppling the US-backed Afghan government in a lightning week-long offensive. 

Bangladesh, he said, always believes in a people’s government that comes through a political and democratic process, and it always extends support to such a government where people’s desire is reflected.

“We’ll extend support if people’s desire is reflected in the new Afghan government. At this moment, we don’t know as we’re yet to understand the situation in Afghanistan,” Momen said, adding that things will depend on how the new Afghan government acts and what policy it adopts after the formulation of the government.

Almost three weeks have passed since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, the group is yet to announce a government. Also, gaining legitimacy will be another big challenge for the Sunni Islamist group. Pakistan, which has covertly backed the group for the last twenty years to stage a sustained insurgency, has now been advocating recognition of a Taliban-led future dispensation. 

(SAM)