Bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina PM calls on OIC to work together to establish peace in Gaza
Dhaka, Dec 20: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for united efforts by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) nations to establish peace in Gaza.
She said, "OIC member countries must work unitedly to establish peace in Gaza."
She said this when Qatar's ambassador to Bangladesh, Seraya Ali Mahdi Said Al-Qahtani, paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at her official residence Ganabhaban on Tuesday.
After the meeting, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the journalists.
Karim said that Bangladesh Prime Minister and Qatari ambassador discussed the Gaza issue in the meeting. During the meeting, the Ambassador of Qatar handed over the invitation letter to Sheikh Hasina to attend the 8th Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) to be held in Qatar from March 4 to 6, 2024.
Accepting the invitation, the Prime Minister said that if she wins the national elections to be held on January 7, she will attend the exhibition. The exhibition is held every two years under the patronage of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Regarding the Gaza issue, Seraya Ali Mahdi Saeed said this year his country did not celebrate the National Day on December 18 and sent the budget of the National Day celebration programme to the people of Gaza with 50 million US dollars. In this context, the Prime Minister said that Bangladesh has also sent relief items including dry food and clothes for the Palestinians.
He said that even Palestinian doctors who passed MBBS from Bangladesh are now working in Palestinian hospitals.
The Qatari ambassador said that the world is getting to know about the situation in Gaza as the Qatar-based Al Jazeera media network broadcasts news on the Gaza issue. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh hopes that Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will visit Bangladesh in 2024.
Press Secretary quoted Sheikh Hasina as saying, "We are looking forward to welcoming Emir very soon."
The Emir of Qatar accepted an invitation to visit Bangladesh from the President of Bangladesh in May 2020. The Prime Minister thanked the Qatari authorities for taking initiative on the Gaza issue.
