Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has sought the support of OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) member states to resolve the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh.
Momen particularly stressed on addressing two important issues_repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, and accountability and justice for gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity perpetrated against them, reports UNB.
The foreign minister was addressing the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) preparatory meeting on Thursday, ahead of the 14th Islamic Summit of the OIC.
Momen led the Bangladesh delegation to the CFM meeting, held at Jeddah Conference Palace in Saudi Arabia.
The minister appreciated the Gambia-led initiative of taking legal recourse to establish Rohingya rights and seek justice for them by taking Myanmar to the International Court of Justice in the Hague.
The meeting agreed on the proposed documents_a resolution on Palestine, and the final draft of the communiqué, which among other issues, covered the Rohingya crisis and contained directions for member states to address the return and accountability questions, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The drafts were finalized by senior officials meeting on May 27, which was attended by a Bangladeshi delegation, led by Director General AFM Gousal Azam Sarker.
During his intervention at the ministerial level meeting, Momen highlighted the need for solidarity and unity among the OIC member states.
He stressed on cooperation in diverse fields, while underscoring the urgency for addressing the major challenges of the Muslim Ummah, such as the conflict situation and tension in many OIC countries, terrorism, Islamophobia, humanitarian issues, and underdevelopment.
The foreign minister also attended the Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee Meeting, dealing with the Banjul process of accountability and justice for the Rohingyas.
The meeting turned out to be very productive and fruitful, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
On the sidelines of the CFM, Momen met his counterparts from Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and the Maldives.
The ministers discussed various issues of mutual concern, as well as issues of importance for the Muslim Ummah, in general.
The Rohingya issue featured prominently during the discussion, and the ministers put emphasis on the repatriation and accountability of the perpetrators.
Momen also called for greater economic integration and trade facilitation among the countries.
He also discussed the South East Asian Cooperation Forum, an economic integration in the region that is expected to be launched in Dhaka in June.
Bangladesh seeks OIC help in resolving Rohingya issue
