Dhaka against wrong interpretation of Islam

Bangladesh has said it rejects any narrow and misinformed interpretation of Islam, the religion of peace, and denounced the use of religion to justify violent extremist acts.

"Violent extremists do not belong to any religion," State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam told the "Geneva Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism-The Way Forward" at the United Nations Office in Geneva.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter delivered the keynote statements as co-chairs of the conference held on Thursday and Friday, said a foreign ministry statement received on Friday night.

The conference was attended by ministers from Belgium, Cameroon, Mauritania, Sudan, the United Kingdom, the Maldives, Malaysia, Czech Republic, Guinea Bissau and Luxemburg, and representatives from international organisations.

Speaking at the high level segment of the conference, Shahriar said, "In Bangladesh, we maintain a zero tolerance approach to terrorism and violent extremism. We are also making progress in stemming the flow of terrorist financing."

Highlighting the need to address the root causes of terrorism and violent extremism, he highlighted Bangladesh's pro-poor and pro-people development strategy that include sustained investment in human development to reduce poverty, enhanced women's social mobility, creation of employment opportunities, and strengthening of human rights and the rule of law, and fostering of children with a tolerant and scientific outlook in aspiration to build a knowledge-based society.

Shahriar also underlined Bangladesh's partnership with the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) to further work through community-based organisations.

He expressed commitments to continue to remain a reliable partner of the UN in fighting terrorism and preventing violent extremism globally, regionally and nationally.

On the sidelines of the conference, he had a bilateral meeting with Baroness Anelay of St John's, minister of state of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK, to discuss on further strengthening the areas of mutual cooperation, including in the field of preventing radicalisation and violent extremism in respective societies through information and experience sharing and technical cooperation.

The British state minister expressed the UK's willingness to cooperate with and support Bangladesh in this regard.

Shahriar also requested his British counterpart to look into the issue of the ongoing difficulties being faced by Bangladeshi citizens in obtaining British visas. Earlier, Shahriar held a meeting with Baroness Patricia Scotland, the newly appointed secretary-general of the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth secretary general briefed Shahriar about the Commonwealth's future plans in the field of preventing violent extremism, including the idea of more intense cooperation between the judiciaries among the Commonwealth countries.

Shahriar also attended a ministerial lunch hosted by the UN secretary-general and Swiss foreign minister on Friday.