Palestinian Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef SY Ramadan paid a courtesy call on Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed at his office at the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday.
The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, during which the two sides discussed law and order, security cooperation, facilitating visa issuance for Palestinian students and other issues of mutual interest, said a home ministry press release.
The minister reaffirmed Bangladesh’s longstanding support for the Palestinian people’s struggle for independence and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.
He said Bangladesh has consistently extended principled and moral support to Palestine, recalling the role of former president Ziaur Rahman in mobilising international opinion and diplomatic support for the Palestinian cause.
Ambassador Ramadan said a large number of Palestinian students are pursuing higher education at different public and private educational institutions in Bangladesh. He sought special cooperation in facilitating on-arrival visas to ensure their smooth entry and studies in the country.
In response, the minister instructed the ministry’s relevant officials to extend all possible assistance and requested the ambassador to send a formal letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ambassador also requested that copies of visa applications submitted by Palestinian nationals or students through Bangladesh missions in different Middle Eastern countries be shared with the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka for proper verification.
The minister said Bangladesh stands ready to provide all possible support for the welfare of Palestinian citizens, adding that the country deeply values its ties with Palestine as a fellow Muslim nation.
Referring to misinformation on social media, Salahuddin Ahmed said Bangladesh is a progressive and moderate Muslim-majority country and warned that any attempt to tarnish its international image through online disinformation would be dealt with firmly.
He said those involved in cybercrime and misinformation campaigns would be identified through proper investigation and brought to justice.
At the beginning of the meeting, the minister welcomed the Palestinian ambassador, while Ambassador Ramadan congratulated him on assuming his new responsibilities.
Among others present at the meeting were Deputy Secretary of the Political-1 Wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs Begum Minara Nazmin, Acting Director (West Asia) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hasan Parag, and First Secretary of the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka, Nour HO Alaydi.
