Secretary General of OIC, Iyad Ameen Madani, left Dhaka yesterday after completing his three day visit to Bangladesh, reports BSS. During the visit, he paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday, an official release said. On the same day in the afternoon, he had a meeting with Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was part of Madani's four OIC member country visit in Asia. This happened to be his third visit to Bangladesh after assuming charge as the OIC Secretary General.
During the call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Madani recalled the historic decision of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to join the OIC through participation in the second Islamic Summit in 1974 and appreciated Bangladesh's close association with active role in the OIC.
He briefed the Prime Minister on the initiatives and projects undertaken by him to address problems and challenges facing the Muslim world and sought her views. Problems of terrorism, conflicts and crises in some OIC member states such as Syria and Afghanistan came up in the discussion. He appreciated wise leadership and role of the Prime Minister in the Muslim world and requested for her role in enhancing OIC rapprochement and contributing to peace and stability of the Ummah. In his meeting with the Foreign Minister, Madani discussed wide ranging issues including conflict situation, humanitarian situation and challenges such as
radicalism, terrorism and violent extremism facing the Muslim world.They discussed terrorism and stressed the need for debunking false narratives of the radicals and terrorists.
Madani briefed the Foreign Minister on the OIC initiative of messaging centre starting from October this year to counter the false narratives of the terrorists. Foreign Minister Ali, on his part appreciated Madani for his support and solidarity with Bangladesh which he expressed following recent terrorist attack in Gulshan.
Expressing support and solidarity and standing beside Bangladesh against terrorism was one of the purposes of Madani’s visit.
Madani said that Bangladesh was playing constructive and active role in OIC for peace and development and affirmed that its views were widely respected and leadership in OIC was widely accepted. He also sought Bangladesh’s support and involvement in the rapprochement initiative and conflict resolution mechanisms of OIC and hoped that Bangladesh would play leading role there.
The two dignitaries also had consultation on the agenda, initiatives and cooperation within OIC framework prior to the forthcoming 43rd session of Council of Foreign Ministers to be held in Tashkent in October this year.
They also discussed ways and means of enhancing dynamism of OIC and its engagement with non-Muslim countries having Muslim communities there in the interest of the well being of the Muslim communities there.
During the visit, the Secretary General made a visit to the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the afternoon of August 18 to pay homage to the memory of the Father of the Nation.
Allama Farid Uddin Masud, Convener of Bangladesh Jamiyatul Ulama, called on the Secretary General yesterday and briefed him of the counter-terrorist initiative of Bangladesh Jamiyatul Ulama and the Fatwa endorsed by one hundred thousand ulama to act as a strong counter-radical and anti-terrorist narrative.
He handed over copy of the Fatwa to the Secretary General of OIC. Madani much appreciated the initiative and work of the Ulama of Bangladesh.
During the visit, Bangladesh Foreign Minister introduced Ambassador Ismat Jahan to the Secretary General. Ambassador Jahan is going to assume the charges of Permanent Observer of the OIC to the European Union in Brussels at the beginning of September 2016.
Madani ended his busy day yesterday attending a dinner in his honour hosted by Foreign Minister A. H. Mahmood Ali. Secretary General Madani visited Islamic University of Technology, a subsidiary organisation of OIC, today on August 19, heard a presentation made by the VC of the University Prof. Munaz Ahmed Noor. He also exchanged views with the VC and members of the university faculties as to transforming it into a seat of excellence.