Bangladesh to organise world peace conference next year: foreign minister

Bangladesh will organise a world peace conference next year, marking the 50th year of the country's Liberation War and birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as part of promoting a culture of peace and tolerance."Bangabandhu was a proponent of peace and addressing problems with dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful resolution of conflicts. We should inculcate the culture of peace and tolerance," said Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

He was speaking at the first lecture of the year-long "Bangabandhu Lecture Series" hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen will deliver lecture next month.

Former Finance Minister AMA Muhith delivered the first lecture yesterday.

At the inaugural address via a virtual platform, Foreign Minister Momen said there cannot be development without peace, and peace is hampered when there is a lack of tolerance for difference of opinions and faith. The Rohingyas in Myanmar were uprooted because of venom of intolerance, he said.

Stating Bangabandhu's foreign policy principle, "friendship to all and malice to none", he said Bangladesh continues to maintain the policy and opposes violence and wars.

Momen said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman spent his entire life to empower people, alleviate poverty, promotion of democracy and rule of law. He wanted to ensure food for all who faced serious deprivation and injustice during the Pakistan regime.

He said Bangladesh today is a food-sufficient country and a vibrant economy from what was once dubbed as bottomless basket. Bangladesh is rapidly developing in economic and social terms.

However, given that the country has undertaken a number of mega infrastructures, critics are fearing of debt trap, which actually is not right. The country's borrowing from China is only 6.5 percent while only 1.3 percent from India. Also, the cost of borrowing is only 1.3 percent that would not shoot up, he said.

"We will become a developed nation, a Shonar Bangla by 2041," Momen said.

He said Bangladesh will hold seminars and exhibitions in over 60 Bangladesh missions, where Bangabandhu Centers were established, next year to showcase Bangladesh, her achievements and the values of peace and tolerance. Besides, two outstanding diplomats -- one Bangladeshi and another foreign diplomat in Bangladesh -- will be recognised with gold medal.

Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said Bangabandhu was a visionary leader not only of Bangladesh, but of the world, who preached his ideals for the world's deprived people. In his address to the UN, he spoke half the time for the people of Africa.

Bangabandhu dreamt of a secular, just and democratic society where all people have freedom -- ideals that led to the creation of Bangladesh based not on religion, but of language and culture.

"Bangabandhu was so farsighted that he enacted the maritime law in 1974 and we had only a few things to amend in 2014 before delimiting our maritime boundary," Muhith said.

Shockingly, the "agents of Pakistan" assassinated the great leader, he said.

Prime Minister's International Affairs Adviser Dr Gawher Rizvi highlighted the necessity of forming Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (Baksal), saying had Bangabandhu lived a little longer, the country could have reached the goal of Sonar Bangla long before.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam also spoke at the event, attended by diplomats from home and abroad, academics and journalists.