Foreign secretary urges OIC Council to put pressure on Myanmar
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen urged the members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to remain involved to put continuous pressure on Myanmar authorities to ensure a safe and dignified return of the Rohingyas to their homeland.
The foreign secretary spoke at the 48th Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held in Islamabad, Pakistan on 22 and 23 March, said a press release.
He also called on the member states to volunteer to collect the fund created by the OIC to run the case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice.
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Bangladesh's envoys to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and the senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also attended the meeting.
This year, the CFM was held with the theme "Partnering for Unity, Justice and Development," where several political, economic, social, cultural, and security issues were discussed.
A resolution, titled "Situation of the Rohingya Muslim Community in Myanmar", has been adopted unanimously to keep the momentum in exerting continuous pressure on Myanmar authorities.
In his speech at the CFM, Foreign Secretary Momen reiterated Bangladesh's continued engagement with the OIC, which has always been guided by the principles of peace, prosperity, and development.
He highlighted Bangladesh's prudent navigation of the economy during the Covid-19 period under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and also called for a fair share of the Covid vaccine and transfer of vaccine technology.
He expressed Bangladesh's strong commitment to establishing a peace process for Palestine, denouncing Islamophobia and hate-crimes against Muslims, and stopping all forms of terrorism, including financing terrorism, radicalisation, and violent extremism.
Meanwhile, on 22 March, an open-ended meeting of the OIC Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee on Accountability for Human Rights Violations against the Rohingyas was also held on the margin of the CFM. Foreign Secretary Momen also delivered a statement at the brainstorming session titled "Role of the Islamic World in Fostering Peace, Justice and Harmony".
