Dhaka calls for lasting peace as OIC stands by commitment to Afghanistan

Bangladesh has sought effective steps to establish lasting peace in Afghanistan, ensure safety of Afghan people and evacuate all foreign nationals including Bangladeshis safely.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Dr Mohammad Javed Patwary made the call at an emergency meeting of permanent representatives of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation held in Jeddah on Sunday.

There are reports that at least 20 Bangladeshi nationals got stuck in Afghanistan. The Bangladesh Embassy in Uzbekistan is in touch to ensure their safe return.

The ambassador said Bangladesh stands ready to share its socioeconomic development experiences with the Afghan people once the situation gets normalised.

At the invitation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chair of the 14th Islamic Summit, and the OIC Executive Committee, the extraordinary open-ended meeting of the OIC Executive Committee at the level of Permanent Representatives on the situation in Afghanistan was held at the headquarters of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) General Secretariat in Jeddah.

The meeting expressed solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and reiterated the commitment of the OIC's Member States to help them bring peace, security, stability, and development to Afghanistan.

It also urged all parties to work towards advancing the interests of the Afghan people, to renounce violence and urgently restore security and civil order throughout the Afghan society, and to establish lasting peace to achieve the aspirations of the Afghan people for stability, decent life, respect of their rights, and prosperity.

Earlier, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said Bangladesh wants to see lasting peace in Afghanistan that has gone through many ups and downs, noting that the current situation has an impact on South Asian politics.

He said Bangladesh will decide the nature of its relations with Afghanistan observing the situation closely and considering how things move ahead.   

"We're ready to help Afghanistan when we feel that there's a stable government in place with people's mandate," he told reporters recently.

OIC Communique

The meeting reiterated the OIC's commitment towards Afghanistan as expressed in its resolutions adopted by the Islamic Summit and the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), other meetings, and the Makkah Declaration issued on July 11, 2018 by the International Ulama Conference on Peace and Stability in Afghanistan.

The meeting highlighted the international community's expectations from the future leadership in Afghanistan regarding promoting national reconciliation, observance of the international conventions and agreements, and adherence to the international governing norms enshrined in the UN Charter and resolutions.

It underscored the necessity to protect and respect the right to life, security, and dignity of the people of Afghanistan in compliance with the tolerant Islamic principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The meeting expressed serious concern about the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan because of the increased flow of IDPs and refugees due to the current situation in the country, the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic and drought; and in this respect, called on the Member States, the Islamic financial institutions, and partners to act swiftly to provide humanitarian assistance in the areas that need it the most and urgently.

It called on the Secretary-General to engage with donor financial institutions to provide necessary assistance to alleviate the suffering of the IDPs in Afghanistan and the Afghan refugees in neighboring countries and underscored the importance of the OIC's Mission in Kabul to play a crucial role in coordinating the provision of humanitarian assistance.

The meeting underscored cooperation in facilitating safe evacuation operations and underscored that civilians wishing to leave Afghanistan must be allowed to do that.

The meeting underscored the necessity for inclusive dialogue among all Afghan parties, and representatives of the people of Afghanistan for the future of their country.

The meeting reaffirmed the OIC's full commitment to support the Afghan-led and owned peace process and comprehensive reconciliation to reach a comprehensive and lasting political solution and ensure the support of this process by the main neighboring countries and the international community.

It affirmed that the OIC stands with Afghanistan at this critical juncture.

It called upon the future Afghan leadership and the international community to ensure that Afghanistan is never again used as a platform or haven for terrorists and not allow terrorist organizations to have a foothold there.

The meeting recalled the severe suffering and hardship Afghanistan and its people went through due to protracted conflict and violence and asserted that all efforts need to be directed towards the development and the welfare of the people.

It underscored the need for support by the international community to ensure that Afghanistan is assisted in its socio-economic development trajectory without interference in its internal affairs.

The meeting underscored the necessity to resolve intra-Afghan differences through peaceful means.

It called for dispatching a high-level delegation from the OIC's General Secretariat to visit the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to convey the OIC's message towards supporting peace, stability, and national reconciliation in Afghanistan.

The meeting requested the Secretary-General to follow up on the situation in Afghanistan and take all measures necessary to monitor and evaluate the developments, in coordination with members of the Executive Committee, and present a report thereon to the CFM at its next session.