United News of Bangladesh

Noting that Bangladesh is positively considering the Makkah Defence Agreement, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Saturday reiterated that peace and stability in the Middle East and the Muslim world are central to its consideration of the Makkah Defence Agreement. Talking to reporters after a seminar at the Foreign Service Academy, he said maintaining peace in the region encompassing Makkah and Madinah is a key objective, adding that Bangladesh could deploy its peacekeeping expertise more effectively and extensively across the world. Kobir said initiatives regarding participation in the agreement or association with the alliance are being considered positively, with regional peace and stability remaining the priority. He said any decision will be guided by national interests and the potential contribution of the country's peacekeeping expertise to regional peace and stability. He said the next chapter of Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia relations should therefore be defined by value creation rather than volume alone. “We are having positive discussions on the Makkah Defence Agreement. We are viewing it positively,” he said while addressing the national seminar at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. “If it falls within the national interests of Bangladesh and converges, and we feel that our peacekeeping expertise can add value in serving Muslim nations and keeping a stable, peaceful Middle East, then there is every scope to take a positive decision on the matter,” he said. The state minister also said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had accepted an invitation from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince to visit the Kingdom. “He has accepted and will do so at some point very soon,” Kobir said.  

Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain (Kaikobad) said Muslims across the world will stand united to resist any attempt to attack or threaten the security of the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah. “If necessary, millions of Muslims will sacrifice their lives to protect the sanctity and dignity of the holy lands,” he said in a statement issued to the media in protest against any threat or attempted attack on the two holy cities. The minister said Mecca Al-Mukarramah and Madinah Al-Munawwarah are the most revered places of worship and sanctity for Muslims worldwide and serve as centres of faith, emotion and love for the entire Muslim Ummah. “Any kind of attack, aggression or threat to the security of these two holy cities is completely unacceptable,” he said. Expressing firm support for the statements of the two imams of Al-Haramain (Mecca and Madinah), Kaikobad said protecting the sanctity and security of the two holy cities is the collective responsibility of the entire Muslim Ummah. “Muslims around the world will jointly resist any aggression or conspiracy against the holy lands,” he said. The minister said the people of Bangladesh remain uncompromising on protecting the security, dignity and sanctity of the two holy cities. He called upon all Muslim states and the Muslim Ummah to overcome their differences and unite under the banner of Islam so that any threat or attempted attack against Mecca Al-Mukarramah and Madinah Al-Munawwarah, now and in the future, can be collectively resisted. He prayed to Almighty Allah for the overall security of the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah and for peace, unity and wellbeing of the Muslim Ummah worldwide.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Sunday sought more investment in the areas of education, science and technology. Adviser Hossain was speaking at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Islamic University of Technology (IUT) and SEACO Universities Network (SUN) held at the State Guest House, Padma. "One of the shortcomings of the Muslim World is its backwardness in the areas of education, science and technology, despite possessing immense human potential and a rich intellectual heritage. It must invest more to transform its education system and bring meaningful change in the lives of the people," he said. Dhaka, Islamabad foreign affairs chiefs hold telephone talks