Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stressed the need for the unity of the Muslim Ummah and its pursuit of the great Islamic values of justice and inclusion.

She suggested creation of an OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) mechanism or initiative to settle internal differences within the platform.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali delivered the speech yesterday on behalf of the PM who was scheduled to address the 13th OIC Summit Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, according to a message received in Dhaka.

Hasina referred to the call made by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during the 2nd OIC Summit in 1974 for unity and solidarity within the Muslim Ummah.

She stressed developing an OIC humanitarian mechanism and OIC support for frontline battle against climate change impacts. She called for a collective action for eradication of poverty through implementation of OIC-2025 Programme of Action.

The PM also underscored the importance of implementation of OIC preferential and free trade arrangements on a fast-track basis.

The foreign minister took part in the 13th OIC Summit Conference as the leader of the Bangladesh delegation.

The conference started on Thursday in Istanbul with participation of around 30 heads of states, governments and their representatives and foreign ministers from over 20 countries.

Earlier on April 12-13, the Bangladesh foreign minister attended the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting.

The theme of the Summit Conference is “Unity and Solidarity for Justice and Peace”. The leaders of the Islamic world gathered there to find common grounds on major issues. They stressed unity and solidarity to address challenges facing by the Ummah.

The OIC leaders under the new chairmanship of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan adopted several outcome documents of the Summit namely-Resolution on Palestine, OIC 2025: Programme of Action, Final Communique and the Istanbul Declaration.

Earlier on April 12, AH Mahmood Ali attended a meeting of the OIC Ministerial Contact Group on Rohingya Muslim Minority of Myanmar. He discussed within the group the future course of action and plan of engagement with the new government in Myanmar.