Observe Dhaka, Tehran over Israel’s killings in Gaza; Bangladeshis continue protest ::
Published in The Daily Star on Aug. 06 ::
Dhaka and Tehran have expressed dismay at the inability of the international community to restrain Israel from its latest atrocities in Gaza, which have killed hundreds of civilians.
This was stated by Prime Minister’s International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif during a meeting on the sidelines of the emergency meeting of the NAM Committee on Palestine held in Tehran on Monday.
Israel had shelled Gaza for a nearly month, killing 1,867 Palestinians, before a 72-hour humanitarian truce took hold yesterday.
Denouncing the “genocide”, different organisations in Bangladesh continued their protests and demanded the United Nations and West’s roles in stopping Israel.
In Tehran, Rizvi represented Bangladesh, one of the 11 members of the NAM Committee.
The Iranian foreign minister appreciated Rizvi’s intervention in the meeting and commended Bangladesh’s abiding commitment to the work of this important NAM Committee, said a foreign ministry release.
Rizvi thanked the Iranian minister for convening the emergency meeting and reaching consensus on an action-oriented outcome document that should give the NAM Member States a choice of options to firmly stand by the Palestinian people and denounce the Israeli aggression.
Turning to bilateral issues, the adviser said, “Bangladesh and Iran enjoy excellent bilateral relations on the political front, while more needs to be done to realise the economic potentials that still remain untapped.” They underscored the need for forging greater ties between the private sectors of the two countries. Meanwhile, protesting the Israeli barbarity, the Human Rights Forum Bangladesh accused country of violating truces.
In a statement, it said the UN was not playing a due role because the USA and other super powers did not want to take action against Israel. The forum has called upon Bangladesh and all embassies operating in Dhaka to play a stronger role to compel Israel to stop killing Palestinians.
The international community must take an initiative to find a permanent solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict and to stop such deaths, it added.
At a rally in front of the capital’s Jatiya Press Club, the Bangladesh Civil Rights Society urged the people around the world to pressurise Israel so it backs away from its Zionist agenda in Palestine.
They also criticised the Arab rulers for their “shameless silence” over the Israeli butchery in Gaza, and slammed the West and the US for their “blind support” to Israel, ignoring the lives of innocents including children in Palestinians.
At the same venue, the Bangladesh Labour Party set fire to the national flag of Israel in a human chain. In a statement, the Bangladesh Christian Association said the “heinous acts” of Israel were just unacceptable.
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/city/intl-communitys-role-dismaying-35959