Shawdesh Desk:

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen was dropped at the last moment from the entourage of prime minister Sheikh Hasina to India on Monday.

Although the foreign minister’s name was everywhere in the official delegation during the prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s four-day state visit to India, his name was dropped at the last moment, said foreign ministry officials.

They said that Momen’s name was excluded from the list of the PM’s entourage in the morning just before she left Dhaka for New Delhi.

Sheikh Hasina arrived New Delhi on Monday on a four-day state visit at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

On arrival at Palam Airport at 11:40am local time (Bangladesh time 12:10pm), the Bangladesh premier was received by state minister for railways and textiles of India Darshana Vikram Jardosh and Bangladesh high commissioner to India Muhammad Imran.

Momen’s recent statement that he had urged the India government during a visit to that country to back the ruling Awami League so that it could stay in power drew flak.

At a Janmashtami programme organised by Sree Sree Janmashtami Udjapan Parishad Bangladesh at JM Sen Hall in Chattogram, foreign minister Abdul Momen on August 19 said that he had urged the Indian government to back prime minister Sheikh Hasina so that she could stay in power.

‘I went to India and said that Sheikh Hasina’s continuation must be ensured.’ he said, adding that he has requested the Indian government to do whatever is needed to keep Hasina in power.

Momen, also a member of the AL Sylhet city unit, also said that the Sheikh Hasina’s government was needed to ensure religious harmony in Bangladesh.