Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh has strongly condemned the recent Israeli attack on Qatar, terming it an affront to the digni-ty of the Muslim Ummah, and reiterated its steadfast support to Qatar and the cause of Palestine.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain conveyed Bangladesh’s position while attending the Emer-gency Arab-Islamic Summit held in Doha yesterday, according to a message received here.
The summit was convened in the aftermath of the September 9 Israeli strike on Qatar.
In his address, Adviser Hossain said the “unprovoked and unjustifiable attack on the sovereign territory of Qatar is not merely an attack on Qatar but rather an affront to the dignity of the entire Muslim Um-mah.”
He stressed that Bangladesh views the aggression as “a reckless adventure by Israel which continues to disregard the UN Charter, international humanitarian law, and repeated UN resolutions.”
Calling for decisive action, he urged all OIC member states to adopt coordinated diplomatic, political, and economic measures to deter further Israeli provocations.
“We must collectively hold Israel accountable for this naked act of aggression and demand an immediate cessation of such illegal activities,” he added.
The summit was chaired by the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. OIC Secretary Gen-eral Hissein Brahim Taha and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit delivered welcome remarks, recalling the founding objectives of their respective organisations to safeguard peace and secu-rity of the Muslim Ummah.
Leaders of 24 member states attended the summit in person, while other delegations were represented by foreign ministers or senior dignitaries.
In their joint declaration, the leaders condemned the Israeli strike on Qatar in the strongest terms and pledged unwavering support for the security and dignity of Muslim nations.
They also demanded an immediate end to Israel’s occupation of Gaza and reaffirmed their commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the two-state formula with East Jerusalem as its capi-tal.
The summit called for uninterrupted access to humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza, where shortages of food and medical supplies are causing immense suffering.
The leaders further urged the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice to hold Israeli leaders accountable for violating the sovereignty of Muslim states and committing atrocities in Palestine.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Hossain was accompanied at the summit by Additional Foreign Secretary M Forhadul Islam, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the OIC MJH Jabed, and Bangladesh Ambas-sador to Qatar Mohammad Hazrat Ali Khan.
