Dhaka, 16 November 2020:

“The battle against the pandemic of intolerance needs a concerted “whole of society” approach and a rock-solid partnership involving all stakeholders” said the Foreign Minister at the high-level virtual Ministerial Meeting to Advance Freedom of Religion or Belief organized by Government of the Republic of Poland on 16 November 2020.

In his speech, Foreign Minister Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen expressed deep concern over the recent rise of hate speech, xenophobic attitude and human rights violation targeting religious minorities in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. He highlighted that even in this current global context, Bangladesh has steadfastly maintained a peaceful co-existence of different groups and ensured the safety and security of all citizens irrespective of their religious background.

Underscoring the secular identity of Bangladesh as laid down by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Foreign Minister mentioned about the zero tolerance” approach of the Government of Bangladesh towards any form of violence and discrimination against the religious minorities under any pretext.

He expressed deep concern over the recent trend of attacking religion by some countries as well as persecution of minorities by some others based on ethnicity and religion. In this context, he referred to the mass atrocities and persecutions of Rohingyas by the Myanmar authorities and their temporary refuge in Bangladesh.

In order to achieve peace and harmony, the Foreign Minister emphasized inculcating a mindset of tolerance and respect for each other irrespective of religion, ethnicity, colour and background. He also stressed the need to promote inter-religious and interfaith dialogues to advance harmony and peace in society.

The meeting was attended by high-level representatives from more than 50 states including Poland, the USA, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Kuwait, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Uzbekistan, Slovakia, Morocco, Latvia, Kazakhstan.