Bangladesh supports Palestine’s full UN membership bid

Bangladesh has backed to the hilt Palestine’s demand for “full membership” of the UN and condemns Israeli occupation of all Palestinian and Arab territories, including West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza strip.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali reiterated Bangladesh’s position to the Palestinian ambassador in Dhaka, Shaher Mohammad, when the latter called on him at the state guest house, Meghna, on Tuesday.

Mahmood Ali said Bangladesh was happy at Palestine’s “non-member Observer State” status in UN, a step forward from “Entity” on Nov 29 in 2012 following “overwhelming” votes at the General Assembly. He believed it would pave the way for full membership.

He also pledged Bangladesh’s support to Palestine’s development and nation building efforts mainly in capacity-building, training, science and technology despite its own resource constraints.

The foreign minister said that people-to-people contacts between the citizens of the two countries had increased over the past decade with Palestinians taking part in many social and cultural programmes in Bangladesh.

He said there were potentials of further strengthening of relations “through more diverse and meaningful engagements, particularly in the field of bilateral trade and commerce”.

The minister also expressed Bangladesh’s total commitment and support to the “just cause” of the Palestinians and expressed the country’s solidarity with the Palestinians for their “just struggle” for an independent homeland.

The Ambassador Mohammad, who is also the Dean of Diplomatic Corps in Dhaka, appreciated Bangladesh’s “unequivocal support” to the cause of an independent State of Palestine.

He underlined the importance of bilateral engagement between the two states, particularly in the areas of trade, economic cooperation and training for capacity building.

He also conveyed the desire of Nabil Saath, Head of International Relations, to visit Bangladesh to discuss recent developments in Palestine. The visit could be organised at a mutually convenient time, he added.

The ambassador also handed over a message of felicitations from Palestine Foreign Minister Riad Malki to the Foreign Minister on his appointment after Jan 5 elections.