Bangladesh discusses Palestine, Rohingya issues in Jeddah bilateral meetings

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman held bilateral meetings with leaders of several key delegations on the sidelines of the emergency open-ended meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Palestine in Jeddah, and discussed issues of mutual interest, according to a press release.

Those he met included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar; Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Waleed A Elkhereiji; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, Ambassador Musa Kulaklikaya; Foreign Minister of Palestine, Dr Varsen Aghabekian; and Foreign Minister of The Gambia, Sering Modou Njie, who also chaired the executive meeting, the release stated.

The leaders of the delegations conveyed congratulations to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's electoral victory and his assumption of office, the release stated. They expressed confidence that Bangladesh would attain political stability and accelerate development under his leadership. They also commended Bangladesh for what the release described as its unwavering commitment to the Palestinian cause, and expressed support for Bangladesh's candidature for the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister recalled his meeting with former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia last year, the release stated. He added that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif looked forward to visiting Bangladesh to greet Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and expressed hope that bilateral relations would continue to grow under the new government in Dhaka.

Kulaklikaya recalled the historical ties between Türkiye and Bangladesh and expressed hope for expanded cooperation in multiple sectors, the release stated. Dr Rahman thanked Türkiye for its assistance to Rohingya refugees and said both sides agreed to work together for an early resolution of the issue. He also handed over an invitation to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to visit Bangladesh after Ramadan, the release added.

The Saudi Vice Minister expressed hope that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would visit the Kingdom in the near future and invited Dr Rahman to visit Riyadh, according to the release. He stated that Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 offers opportunities for Bangladesh in a range of sectors and expressed readiness to work with Bangladesh. Dr Rahman said there are opportunities for Saudi investment in Bangladesh and that both sides agreed to work together to realise the potential. Elkhereiji also sought Bangladesh's support for reforms to improve the performance of the OIC Secretariat, the release stated.

During the meeting with the Palestinian Foreign Minister, Dr Rahman reiterated Bangladesh's support for the Palestinian people and said the only solution is the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Palestinian Foreign Minister expressed appreciation for Bangladesh's consistent stance, the release stated. Dr Rahman also said that if Bangladesh is elected to the UNGA presidency, it will uphold Palestine's cause. The Palestinian Minister said the Arab–Islamic bloc would support Bangladesh's candidature, the release added.

Dr Rahman thanked Njie for The Gambia's support for the Rohingya people, including the case it filed at the International Court of Justice against Myanmar over alleged genocide, the release stated. Both sides agreed to hold an event on the Rohingya issue during the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Baghdad in April. Njie expressed support for Bangladesh's UNGA bid and said he would work with other African countries in its favour, the release added.

Humayun Kabir, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs; Ambassador Mollah Farhad Hossain, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and MJH Jabed, Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the OIC, were present during the meetings, according to the release.