Bangladesh supports inter-faith, inter-cultural understanding

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NEW YORK, Sept 27 (UNB): Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury has said that Bangladesh supports inter-faith and inter-cultural understanding throughout the world.
He stated this at a Ministerial Meeting on 'Alliance among Civilisations' held at the United Nations Headquarters Wednesday morning. UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon was present on the occasion.
"This is because in our own country Bangladesh we have achieved through our own efforts a harmonious relationship between different religions," Iftekhar Chowdhury said.
This year, Bangladesh delegation at the UN would table a resolution on a 'Culture of Peace', which he hoped would receive universal support.
The adviser further stated that Bangladesh would contribute to the results of the first ever forum on the 'Alliance of Civilisations' to be held in January in Madrid, Spain next year.
Meanwhile, the adviser has called for Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab lands as a pre-requisite to the solution of the Palestine question.
"The cause of the Palestinian people is always close to Bangladesh's hearts", he said at a NAM Ministerial Meeting of the Committee on Palestine held Wednesday in New York on the sidelines of the current UN General Assembly (UNGA) session.
Bangladesh is a member of the 10-person Ministerial Committee.
Iftekhar Chowdhury said the result of Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab lands is a sovereign independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital and it will bring peace to both the Palestinians and the Israelis and "calm to that sad and troubled part of the world."
He also called upon the Palestinian parties to cease their differences and come together to unite in their common aspirations. "All their friends expect this of them," he said.
The foreign adviser also called upon the UN to play a key role in ending the conflict.