Dhaka urges OIC members to work towards early return of Rohingyas

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir yesterday (24 September) said Bangladesh continues to shelter over 1.2 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas and urged the OIC members to work towards their early return.

"We also seek support for the legal fund for Gambia's ICJ proceedings and for lifesaving humanitarian assistance until their return," while speaking at the annual coordination meeting of OIC Foreign Ministers in New York.

The State Minister said their energy potential can similarly drive intra-OIC energy partnerships and renewable investment, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Similarly, he said, they support an independent and sovereign state of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

"We reaffirm our commitment to the OIC Charter and a more peaceful Muslim world. May our collective efforts bring peace, justice, and prosperity to our Ummah," Kobir said.

Bangladesh commended Türkiye's leadership as OIC Chair and welcomed Iraq as the incoming Chair.

"We also extend our warm congratulations to the new Secretary-General," Kobir said.

At this defining moment, conflict, occupation, forced displacement, and economic uncertainty continue to undermine peace and human dignity, he said, noting that these challenges require greater solidarity and concerted OIC action.

The economic front offers significant scope for stronger OIC cooperation. In 2024, intra-OIC trade was only 20% of total trade, below the 25% target.

"We, therefore, call for stronger trade, investment, and connectivity in high-potential sectors, while leveraging our resources and youthful populations," Kobir said.

Equally important is cooperation in technology and human development.

"With 2.2 billion people still offline globally, OIC cooperation can help bridge the digital divide through AI, innovation, and technology transfer. In this context, Bangladesh seeks a 15-20% budget increase for Islamic University of Technology, where around 60% of students receive international scholarships," he said.

Building on these priorities, Kobir said they support finalizing the OIC Programme of Action for 2026-2035, with concrete targets on food security, digital transformation, health, science, and IsDB integration.

"We hope to advance such cross-sectoral cooperation at the Baghdad Ministerial next month," he mentioned.

"Such collaboration is also vital to addressing intolerance and hate speech. We support an enhanced role for OIC Observatory on Islamophobia to promote human rights, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence," he said.