Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi on Monday said NAM should mobilise its collective strength and send out a strong message to Israeli authorities by imposing trade embargo, denying visas to Israeli politicians, officials and businesspeople accused of committing crimes against humanity.
“The way Israel is using the power of coercion, the same way the NAM member states should use the
for violating the provisions of the Arms Trade Treaty, and suspending over flight permission to Israeli aircraft through the airspace of NAM member states.
Israel is no longer as invulnerable as it used to be since the international public opinion is clearly divided on the wanton aggression it continues to commit against Palestine, said the Adviser.
He reaffirmed the solidarity of the government and the people of Bangladesh with Palestinians being subjected to the unrelenting violence and atrocities by Israel, according to a Foreign Ministry release here.
Bangladesh has been invited to this meeting as one of the members of this 11-member Committee.
Dr Rizvi stressed that time has come to move beyond the traditional approach of censure and officials declarations and resolutions to drive home NAM’s unequivocal stand against Israeli brutalities and breach of international humanitarian principles.
He said, the continued inability of the UN Security Council to impose ceasefire and bring the aggression to a halt on the ground should prompt NAM member states to consider alternative approaches, including through the UN General Assembly.
The emergency meeting was inaugurated by President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Dr Hassan Rouhani and heard a briefing on the latest situation in the Gaza Strip from the Foreign Minister of Palestine Dr Riad Al-Maliki.
The meeting was presided over by Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Javad Zarif as the Chair of the NAM Coordinating Bureau.
Among others, ministers from Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Syria and Venezuela and special representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Morocco, Jordan and other NAM Member Countries also spoke at the meeting.
The meeting adopted a Declaration calling upon the NAM member states to ensure a number of multilateral and bilateral actions against the backdrop of the current situation in Gaza.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Iran Khandakar Abdus Sattar was also present.
