Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has called for intensified global efforts to confront historical injustices and eradicate slavery and oppression.
He made the remarks at a commemorative meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on Remembering the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade in New York on Wednesday.
The Foreign Minister paid solemn tribute to the millions of victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, while also honouring the courage and resilience of those who resisted it.
Emphasising that the transatlantic slave trade remains a permanent scar on humanity, Rahman reaffirmed Bangladesh’s firm stance against slavery, apartheid, genocide, and all forms of oppression. He underlined that the Constitution of Bangladesh rejects imperialism, colonialism, racism, and discrimination, and reiterated the country’s solidarity with oppressed peoples worldwide, a media release said on Thursday.
Recalling the centenary of the 1926 Slavery Convention and nearly 80 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Foreign Minister observed that although slavery has been formally abolished, its legacy persists in modern society, the economy, and politics, with various forms still existing globally.
Acknowledging the enduring impacts of the transatlantic slave trade, Khalilur Rahman stressed that action must extend beyond remembrance. He called for renewed efforts to combat human trafficking, coordinated measures in digital forensics, and greater investment in education and dialogue on the human and civilisational costs of slavery.
Reaffirming this solemn commitment, he urged the international community to work together to build a world free of slavery and oppression.
