Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Thursday reaffirmed Bangladesh’s unwavering support for Palestine’s struggle for independence and the establishment of a sovereign state during a meeting with Palestinian Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef S Y Ramadan.
The meeting, conducted in a very cordial and friendly atmosphere, involved fruitful discussions on various issues of mutual interest, including law and order and security, simplifying the visa issuance process for Palestinian students, and other bilateral matters.
The meeting held at the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Salahuddin said Bangladesh had consistently stood by the Palestinian people and their aspirations for statehood. He also recalled the role of late President Ziaur Rahman in mobilising international and diplomatic support for Palestine, describing his contribution as strong and enduring.
“Bangladesh’s principled and moral support for Palestine will remain unwavering,” he said.
During the meeting, Ambassador Ramadan said a significant number of Palestinian students were pursuing higher education at public and private institutions in Bangladesh. He sought special cooperation to facilitate on-arrival visas so that Palestinian students could enter Bangladesh and continue their studies without difficulty.
In response, Salahuddin directed relevant officials to extend full cooperation and asked the ambassador to submit a formal request to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The ambassador also requested that copies of visa applications submitted by Palestinian citizens or students at Bangladeshi missions in Middle Eastern countries be shared with the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka for verification.
Responding to the request, the home minister said Bangladesh regarded Palestine as a brotherly Muslim nation and remained ready to provide every possible assistance for the welfare of Palestinian citizens.
The meeting also discussed misinformation on social media. Salahuddin Ahmed said Bangladesh was a progressive and liberal Muslim-majority country and warned that any attempt to damage its international image through online propaganda would be dealt with firmly.
He said those involved in cybercrime and disinformation campaigns would be identified through investigations and brought to justice.
At the beginning of the meeting, the minister welcomed the Palestinian ambassador, who congratulated him on assuming his new responsibilities.
Also present were Begum Minara Nazmin, Deputy Secretary of the Political-1 Branch of the Ministry of Home Affairs; Fuad Hasan Parag, Director (In-Charge) of West Asia Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Nour H O Alaydi, First Secretary of the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka.
