A proposal for formation of a defence entity within the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) is likely to come up for discussion in its next Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting in Dhaka on May 5-6.
Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque revealed this on Thursday while speaking at a discussion titled 'Upcoming 45th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC'.
Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organised the programme, moderated by its chairman Ambassador Munshi Faiz Ahmad.
The foreign secretary also said a proposal to establish a conflict resolution centre for mediation among the members countries of the Muslim nations' grouping will also be on the table in CFM.
Hinting major reforms within OIC from CFM, he pointed out that there has been a mismatch between expectations and reality in regards to the performance of OIC due to many cross-currents inside the organisation.
This meeting will initiate a drive to conduct reforms in OIC to make it an effective organisation.
Bangladesh has submitted proposals for enhancing regional connectivity by bridging South Asia and West Asia as well as for strengthening economic integration among its member countries. These will also be discussed in CFM, he added.
While speaking at the meeting, foreign relation experts and diplomats also expressed their dismay over the poor feat of OIC since its inception.
They also noted that the time has come to overhaul the organisation.
The foreign secretary in his speech also said the Rohingya issue will be highlighted in the meet, as there has been a change in perception among the OIC member countries regarding the issue.
He mentioned that in the previous CFM meetings many countries did not even agree to mention the word 'Rohingya' in the resolutions. But recently a three-page statement, strongly condemning repression on the Rohingyas, has been accepted by the OIC members unanimously.
The foreign secretary further said many delegation members also expressed their intention to visit the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.
"We will facilitate their visits to the camps on May 4", he informed.
Among others, Professor Akmal Hussain of International Relations Department at Dhaka University, former foreign secretaries Touhid Hussain and Mohammad Mohsin, Ambassador Muhammad Zamir, and BIISS DG Major General A K M Abdur Rahman also spoke in the meeting.
Bangladesh offered to host the 45th CFM meeting of OIC in Dhaka during its 44th CFM in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in July 2017.
With this opportunity of hosting the next CFM, Bangladesh has become a part of OIC Troika and an influential member of the eight-member OIC Executive Committee for the next three years.
