Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged everyone to stand against all forms of aggression and atrocities and say ‘no’ to wars.
“We must speak out against all forms of aggression and atrocities and say ‘no’ to wars. Bangladesh stands behind the UN secretary general’s ‘New Agenda for Peace’,” she said.
The prime minister made the call as she spoke at the 80th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) at the ESCAP Hall in the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Thailand, reports Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).
Hasina drew attention to the offensive in Gaza, saying casualties, particularly women and children, were piling up and there was a possibility to restore peace through discussion.
“War is going on, and genocide is going on in Palestine. It must be stopped. War can’t bring any solution,” she said.
In this context, the prime minister mentioned the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord signed by Bangladesh under her administration in 1997, which minimised armed conflict in the area.
“We must settle regional disputes and tension through dialogues,” adding, “Our mutual respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity must remain paramount.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in Bangkok on Apr 24 for a six-day official visit at the invitation of her Thai counterpart, Srettha Thavisin.
She is scheduled to depart Bangkok on the morning of Apr 29.
Hasina called upon the Asia-Pacific region, especially the ASEAN bloc, to play a proactive role in resolving the volatile situation in Myanmar.
“We must ensure that Rohingya people can return home in safety and dignity at the earliest possible time,” she said. “The origin of their crisis has been in Myanmar, and its solution also lies in Myanmar.”
“As long as that solution remains out of reach, all our efforts at regional connectivity, integration, and prosperity will continue to be marked by a missing puzzle. Let us redouble our efforts to put that puzzle back in place,” she said.
Hasina noted that Bangladesh offered temporary shelter to thousands of Rohingya men, women, and children when they fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar in August 2017.
With an ever-growing population, the Rohingya situation has become one of the most significant humanitarian issues in the world, she said.
The premier also said that ongoing armed conflicts in Myanmar were delaying the Rohingya repatriation process. “This is creating serious security risks within and beyond our territories,” she said.
Hasina added that the Asia-Pacific region must unite against its common enemies of poverty and hunger.
