The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, handed over the first instalment of humanitarian assistance consignments meant for the war-affected people of Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Ambassador in Dhaka Yousef SY Ramadan on Monday.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen handed over a representational box of relief materials to the envoy, the Foreign Ministry said.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen were also present during the ceremony.
The humanitarian assistance included dry food items including dry cake, biscuits, emergency medical items, and sanitary items for women and children.
The first installment of the consignment containing 587kg of relief materials has been dispatched to Cairo, Egypt via regular flight of Egypt Airways.
Bangladesh Embassy in Cairo is coordinating with the Egyptian and Palestinian authority under the current arrangement of the disbursement of assistance in place.
In his brief remarks, the foreign minister expressed solidarity with the brotherly people of Palestine in this moment of crisis and assured Bangladesh’s possible support to the people of Palestine.
He also thanked the Egyptian Embassy in Dhaka and Egypt Airways for extending collaboration to dispatch this humanitarian assistance to Egypt for onward passage to Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing.
The Palestinian envoy expressed deep appreciation and gratitude to the prime minister for the strong and steadfast support to the cause of Palestine and thanked the government for much needed assistance to the people in Gaza.
Bangladesh called upon the international community including the United Nations to condemn this heinous act and said the barbaric war must be put to a stop to prevent further deaths and suffering of innocent civilians as war victims.
Bangladesh believes that the current war waged by Israel in Gaza targeting the civilians is not only asymmetric and disproportionate, but it is tantamount to collective punishment of Palestinian people in Gaza and in contravention of all fundamental principles of human rights and international civil accords and conventions, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bangladesh maintains that the time has come for the international community to address the root causes of the on-going conflict.
Bangladesh underlined the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights to self-determination and supports a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its Capital as envisioned in the UNSC Resolutions.
Bangladesh also urged all parties concerned to come to the negotiation table to work towards achieving a lasting solution to the question of Palestine.
