Bangladesh Government

"We're very upset at the continued killing of civilians in Iraq ... this is unfortunate, this is unacceptable."

-- Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, Foreign Secretary, Dhaka, April 17, 2003

"Law and order must be ensured in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq at any cost…safety and security of media people in Iraq must be ensured as they are informing the whole world about developments there."

-- M. Morshed Khan, Foreign Minister, Dhaka, April 9, 2003.

"Dhaka would act as per the UN decision."

-- M. Morshed Khan, Foreign Minister, Dhaka, April 9, 2003.

"We want that the United Nations should play its due role in future."

-- M. Morshed Khan, Foreign Minister, Dhaka, April 8, 2003

"The war has entered into a very critical stage…we shall have to be realistic in the interest of Bangladesh and Bangladeshis, not for today and tomorrow, but for many years."

-- M. Morshed Khan, Foreign Minister, Dhaka, April 7, 2003

"We like to see the United Nations to play pivotal and managerial role."

-- M. Morshed Khan, Foreign Minister, Dhaka, April 7, 2003

"It (human rights) is a global phenomenon and must be preserved and protected internationally… Like [we did in] Afghanistan, we are ready to take part in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of war-ravaged Iraq under UN umbrella."

-- Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, Foreign Secretary, Dhaka, April 3, 2003

"Majority of world people do not want war and we also want peace, not war,"

-- Begum Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister, Tala (Satkhira), March 30, 2003

"Yes, we had received an informal request [to downsize diplomatic staff of the Iraqi embassy in Dhaka], but we formally told them [that] Bangladesh is a sovereign country and pursues an independent foreign policy. We take decision[s] on our own considering our sovereign and national interest. The [United States] Ambassador was [summoned] to make our position very clear that Bangladesh wants to see an immediate end to the Iraq war and unwarranted killings of civilians…We registered our serious concern about the lingering war in Iraq and the effect on the civilian population."

-- Morshed Khan, Foreign Minister, Dhaka, March 29, 2003

"Bangladesh believes in amicable solution to all problems through peaceful means,"

-- Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister, Dhaka, March 27, 2003

"We are with the Iraqi people and we will remain with them, we will participate in reconstruction work under the UN."

-- M. Morshed Khan, Foreign Minister, Dhaka, March 27, 2003

"We condemn and strongly protest the baleful and brutal US-British attack on Iraq, which is an independent Muslim country in the Middle East… [Iraq is] a member state of OIC and sovereign…This aggression is violation and ultra vires of the UN Charter and International Human Rights."

- Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, Agriculture Minister, Dhaka, March 26, 2003

"We are assessing the situation and its impact on our economy as well as manpower export, we are also assessing the aftermath of the war",

- M. Morshed Khan, Foreign Minister, Dhaka, March 23, 2003.

"The war on Iraq has sparked serious reaction among all citizens of Bangladesh,"

- Moudud Ahmed, Law Minister, March 23, 2003.

"Preservation of Iraq's territorial integrity is very important… Territorial integrity is sacrosanct to any country… As a matter of principle we are opposed to any war. We have consistently been supporting peaceful resolution of the Iraq issue."

- Shamsher M Chowdhury, Foreign Secretary, Dhaka, March 21, 2003.

"…We are closely monitoring the development and we would let you know our reaction as the situation evolves… But it is regrettable that a peaceful solution could not be reached."

- Shamsher M Chowdhury, Foreign Secretary, Dhaka, March 20, 2003.