45th Session of OIC-CFM begins, Rohingya issue in focus

The two-day 45th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (OIC-CFM) begins in Dhaka today (Saturday) with a special attention on Rohingya crisis.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the high level meeting at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) where the chairmanship of the CFM passed from incumbent Cote d'Ivoire to Bangladesh for the next one year.

Over 600 representatives of 52 out of 56 member states of OIC and other five countries, including around 40 ministers and state ministers, have joined the two-day conference with the theme of 'Islamic Values for Sustainable Peace, Solidarity and Development'. "Rohingya crisis will get special attention at the conference and there will be a special session on the issue," Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said at a press briefing on Thursday.

The minister said the government wants to work together with the international community and the Muslim World to have a peaceful solution to the Rohigya crisis.

"We'll discuss the possible ways to resolve the Rohingya crisis and intensify the efforts of the intentional community and the OIC member countries to face it," he said. Echoing the foreign minister, OIC Assistant Secretary General Hashmi Yousuf said Rohingya issue will be one of the main agenda of discussion at the 45th Session of the OIC-CFM, while he visited Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhia upazila of Cox's Bazar on Friday afternoon along with other ministers and representatives of the OIC countries.

The Canadian Prime Minister's special envoy to Myanmar, Foreign Minister Bob Rae, will deliver a speech at the session at OIC-CFM, official sources said. The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh will get a scope to present its different initiatives, experiences and achievements before the international community, including the Muslim World, through the high level conference. 

"We hope all the decisions to be taken at the conference and the Dhaka declaration will be considered as the outcome document...the successful holding of the conference will add a new dimension regarding the cooperation between the OIC and Bangladesh," he said. Mahmood said the challenges facing by the Muslim Ummah--the conflicts, division, tension and instability of the Muslim world--will get the main focus at the CFM of the OIC.

He said the conference will discuss ways to overcome the humanitarian disasters the Muslims are facing across the globe, and the means to remove the Islam phobia. The issue of realising the justified rights of Palestinian people and Al-Quds will get due importance like in the past, the minister said.

Source: bss