BD renews call for full membership of Palestinian state in UN

Bangladesh has reiterated its call for the full recognition and membership of the State of Palestine in the United Nations.

“The implementation of the two-State solution must begin now. We must act with urgency and courage to uphold international law, international humanitarian law and the UN Charter. Let us reaffirm our collective commitment and take our position to the right side of history,” said Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain.

He said Bangladesh stands ready to join any UN-led efforts for rebuilding Gaza by deploying personnel to support humanitarian and future reconstruction plan.

Hossain was delivering his statement at the high-level international conference for the ‘Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution’ at the UN headquarters in New York on 29 July.

The Adviser thanked the co-chairs - France and Saudi Arabia - for convening the conference at the time when unity and urgency are more important than ever in advancing the discourse on peace and justice in Palestine.

“I commend the unwavering commitment and diligence of the eight Working Group members,” he said, adding that Bangladesh approaches the conference with moral clarity and a solemn sense of responsibility.

Bangladesh reaffirmed its steadfast support for the establishment of a viable and independent State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

“We believe peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without justice for Palestine. And justice cannot be delivered without implementing the two-State solution, the only viable and internationally recognised path forward, based on international law, relevant UN resolutions and the aspirations of the people of Palestine,” he said.

Hossain mentioned that they strongly endorse the initiatives of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

“The consensus must now be translated into concrete, time-bound action. To turn this vision into reality, we must urgently address two core challenges,” he said.

Noting the conditions on the ground, Hossain said a just and meaningful two-State solution requires a clear and contiguous Palestinian territory.

More than 58,000 Palestinians have lost their lives and many more have been injured most of them women and children.

Schools, hospitals and aid camps are under attack with countless bodies lying beneath rubble in Gaza.

“We are undoubtedly witnessing one of the gravest genocides of our time. Bangladesh condemns this genocidal killing in Gaza and calls for accountability of the perpetrators. The use of starvation as a weapon by Israel is not acceptable,” Hossain said.

“We also need to mobilise new resources and funding to address the humanitarian crisis and to implement an effective and sustainable reconstruction plan for Gaza,” he added.

Bangladesh appreciated the Arab-Islamic reconstruction plan aimed at rebuilding Gaza and restoring peace and security.