Ambassador of Palestine to Bangladesh, Yousef S. Y. Ramadan, on Thursday said the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) gives a sense of optimism for the Palestinians to be independent after 75 years of struggle. "It's the first step on the way. We can build upon this," he said while speaking at the DCAB Talk at Jatiya Press Club. BNP and Jamaat still haven’t uttered a single word against genocide in Palestine: Foreign Minister Responding to a question, Ambassador Ramadan said they should not just stop there. "No. We wanted to wait and see. We want to provide ICJ with the evidence that Israel did commit genocide. This is our duty. This is the duty of everyone," he said. PM Hasina denounces Israeli attacks on Palestine, calls for ending the war The envoy added, "That's what we need ....to continue. And ICJ should continue the work to achieve its goal. It should not just relax." The ambassador said they are extremely grateful to Bangladesh and South Africa for their role. Bangladesh supported the genocide case filed by South Africa with the ICJ. Creation of Palestine state urgent; US key actor in bringing this to reality: Dr Yunus Lauding Bangladesh's position, he said this was a very courageous move from Bangladesh. In the ICJ proceedings, South Africa contended that Israel is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention with its military assault on Gaza, which began on October 8, 2023, after the attack by Hamas in Israel, which killed 1,200 people and wounded many more. Around 240 people were also taken hostage in the attack. During oral hearings earlier this month, Israel sought to have the case dismissed by the ICJ judges — a motion that was rejected last Friday (January 26). The landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) offers the first concrete hope to protect civilians in Gaza enduring apocalyptic humanitarian conditions, destruction, mass killing, wounding and irreparable trauma, UN experts said today. “The ruling is a significant milestone in the decades-long struggle for justice by the Palestinian people,” the experts said. The ICJ found it plausible that Israel’s acts could amount to genocide and issued six provisional measures, ordering Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent genocidal acts, including preventing and punishing incitement to genocide, ensuring aid and services reach Palestinians under siege in Gaza, and preserving evidence of crimes committed in Gaza. “We echo the sense of urgency demonstrated by the Court in its short, two-week deliberation, as hundreds of Palestinians, primarily women and children, are being killed by Israeli forces every day, resulting in a death toll of 26,751 people in Gaza over the past three months. This amounts to over 1% of the population,” they said. Ambassador Ramadan said that the international community is gradually abandoning Israel that has so far been enjoying impunity just because it is powerful. On January 30, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Britain is ready to bring forward the moment when it formally recognises a Palestinian state. He said Palestinians had to be given a political horizon to encourage peace in the Middle East, BBC reported. When his attention was brought to that, the ambassador said the UK should have been the first to recognise the Palestinian State because all the problems of Palestine were created because of British policy. He said US President Joe Biden is working very hard to find a solution but he should have done it much earlier. Ambassador Ramadan said the international community for long has ignored the Palestinians' issue just because Israel is powerful. "Israel is there fighting us. But who are the countries standing beside it? The powerful countries," he said. Ambassador Ramadan said he does not represent Hamas or Fattah but the Palestine Liberation Organization. “This is a very hot issue. Talk about this,” he said, expressing disappointment over the lack of unity among the Muslim countries while he referred to the unity in Europe. The ambassador said he never felt like a refugee during his nine-year stay in Bangladesh as he always received warmth and love from the people here. DCAB President Nurul Islam Hasib and its General Secretary Ashiqur Rahman Apu also spoke.

The landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) offers the first concrete hope to protect civilians in Gaza enduring apocalyptic humanitarian conditions, destruction, mass killing, wounding and irreparable trauma, UN experts said on Wednesday. “The ruling is a significant milestone in the decades-long struggle for justice by the Palestinian people,” the experts said in a statement issued from Geneva. The ICJ found it plausible that Israel’s acts could amount to genocide and issued six provisional measures, ordering Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent genocidal acts, including preventing and punishing incitement to genocide, ensuring aid and services reach Palestinians under siege in Gaza, and preserving evidence of crimes committed in Gaza. Israel military operation destroys a Gaza cemetery. Israel says Hamas used the site to hide a tunnel “We echo the sense of urgency demonstrated by the Court in its short, two-week deliberation, as hundreds of Palestinians, primarily women and children, are being killed by Israeli forces every day, resulting in a death toll of 26,751 people in Gaza over the past three months. This amounts to over 1% of the population. “The court order is urgently needed to protect the very existence of the Palestinian people from potentially genocidal actions the Court has ordered Israel to halt and prevent,” the experts said. “Given the dire situation on the ground and the careful wording of the Court, we believe that the most effective way to implement the provisional measures is through an immediate ceasefire.” In the ICJ proceedings, South Africa contended that Israel is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention with its military assault on Gaza, which began on 8 October, after the attack by Hamas and Palestinian armed groups in Israel, which killed 1,200 people and wounded many more. 240 people were also taken hostage in the attack. During oral hearings earlier this month, Israel sought to have the case dismissed by the ICJ judges—a motion that was rejected last Friday (26 January). “We see the decision as dismissing Israel’s justification of its actions as self-defence in compliance with international humanitarian law,” the experts said. “The Court found that Israel cannot continue to bombard, displace, and starve the population of Gaza, while allowing its officials to dehumanise Palestinians through statements that may amount to genocidal incitement.” According to the experts, the period since 7 October marks one of the grimmest in the histories of both Palestine and Israel. The 7 October attack, which the experts firmly condemned as war crimes, sent shockwaves across the world. Fighting across Gaza as UN aid agency faces more cuts In Israel, families continue to mourn the dead and heal the wounds of terror they experienced on 7 October. Reiterating that all parties to the conflict, including Hamas, remain bound by international humanitarian law, the ICJ called for the release of the hostages. “Their fate remains unknown, an agony for families longing for their safe return,” the experts said. “In the spiralling violence that followed, marked by ineffective or absent international pressure, and politicisation of UN fora, the ICJ’s order tilts the balance toward a global order based on justice and international law,” the experts said. “This is the only basis for lasting peace and stability between Palestinians and Israelis.” “We call on Israel to adhere to the ICJ order. The burden now shifts to Israel, to show that it has effectively eliminated the risk of genocide that the Court found to be plausible. By the time Israel reports to the Court in one month, Palestinians must have access to food, water, healthcare, and safety, that have long been denied to them,” they said. In light of the urgency of the situation and the real risk of irreparable harm to the people in Gaza, the experts also urged states parties to the Genocide Convention to abide by their obligations to prevent genocide, taking all measures in their power to ensure implementation of the ICJ’s provisional measures. The experts also stressed the critical role that civil society plays to give effect to this ruling. Israel notes 'significant gaps' after cease-fire talks with US, Qatar, Egypt but says constructive The experts are: Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967; Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Cecilia M. Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; Aua Baldé (Chair-Rapporteur), Gabriella Citroni (Vice-Chair), Angkhana Neelapaijit, Grażyna Baranowska, Ana Lorena Delgadillo Perez, Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances; Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the right to development;  Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences; Ashwini K.P. Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; Bina D’Costa, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; Dorothy Estrada Tanck (Chair), Claudia Flores, Ivana Krstić, Haina Lu, and Laura Nyirinkindi, Working group on discrimination against women and girls; Siobhán Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Ms Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the protection and promotion of freedom of opinion and expression; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons; Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education; Livingstone Sewanyana, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Robert McCorquodale (Chair-Rapporteur), Fernanda Hopenhaym (Vice-Chair), Pichamon Yeophantong, Damilola Olawuyi, Elzbieta Karska, Working Group on business and human rights; Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association; Claudia Mahler, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food.

The United States has shared information with The Gambia in connection with the case the latter brought forward against Myanmar under the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over atrocities committed against the Rohingyas. "We stand ready to support a holistic transitional justice process to address the long history of atrocities once such a process becomes viable to respect the demands of victims and survivors for truth, reparation, justice, and non-recurrence," US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Uzra Zeya, said. Acknowledging the genocide as the first step, not the last, she said, all must take the next steps together to bring an end to the violence and prevent the recurrence of atrocities.   Further delay in commencing Rohingya repatriation may put entire region at risk: Bangladesh Govt Zeya was speaking on the occasion of six years since the start of the horrific genocide against Rohingyas, said the US Department of State.  She thanked members of the Rohingya diaspora who joined in. "I applaud your resilience in the face of ongoing persecution," she said. Over the course of 2016 and 2017, Myanmar’s military brutally attacked Rohingya communities.   Systematic acts of violence, including torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and mass killings led to largescale displacement and loss of thousands of innocent lives.   The Myanmar military targeted one of the most vulnerable and marginalized populations in the country, forcing over 740,000 Rohingyas to seek refuge in Bangladesh. The rippling impact of those attacks continues today, six years later.  Help us return home in Myanmar, Rohingyas appeal Bangladesh hosts over a million Rohingya refugees, with significant numbers seeking refuge in nearby countries.   Many more remain internally displaced in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.   "During my visit to Bangladesh in July, I met with Rohingya refugees, who shared personal stories of the horrific violence they and their families endured in Burma and the fear of continued persecution that prevents their return," Zeya said. The gradual loss of rights, citizenship, homes, and even their lives in the years leading up to the 2016-2017 outbreak of atrocities made clear that the regime sought to destroy Rohingya communities based on a false, discriminatory narrative of ethnic and religious differences.   This false narrative attempts to obscure the fact that Rohingyas have been an integral part of Myanmar society for generations. "We are unwavering in our commitment to provide assistance to survivors and victims, seek accountability for those responsible, and pursue justice for the survivors and victims," Zeya said. US to pursue justice for Rohingyas and all people of Myanmar: Blinken In terms of providing assistance, the United States is the leading single donor of life-saving humanitarian assistance to this cause.   They have provided more than $2.1 billion to assist those affected by the crisis in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and elsewhere in the region since 2017.   Recognizing that Rohingyas cannot safely return to their homeland in Myanmar under current conditions, she said, resettlement is another important way in which we contribute.   Since 2009, the United States has warmly welcomed nearly 13,000 Rohingyas from the region, including from Bangladesh. "Our work is not just humanitarian, we also must move towards accountability," Zeya said.   6th Year of Rohingya Influx: Groups seek justice for 'ethnic genocide' in Myanmar  The US also provides support to the UN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, which has a mandate to collect, consolidate, preserve, and analyze evidence of the most serious international crimes and violations of international law committed in Myanmar since 2011.   US support includes providing the mechanism with $2 million of funding to strengthen its ability to conduct open-source investigations and to protect witnesses and victims. "We are not alone in seeking accountability. On Wednesday, we joined 12 other nations on the UN Security Council in a joint statement calling out the continued, unrelenting violence perpetrated by the military regime," Zeya said.   This statement called on the regime to restore the rights of the Rohingyas. On Wednesday, the United States expanded its Myanmar-related sanctions on authorities to include any foreign individual or entity operating in the jet fuel sector of Myanmar’s economy and designated two individuals and three entities under this authority.   This expansion follows US sanction actions already taken this year that designated Burma’s Ministry of Defense, its two largest regime-controlled banks, the Ministry of Energy, and other individual military-affiliated cronies.  Zeya said they will continue to use their sanctions authorities to deprive the military regime of the resources that enable it to oppress its people and urge others to take similar accountability measures. Sixth year of genocidal attacks against Rohingya:  A UN expert demands accountability for the violence "Justice for victims is also crucial. The United States coordinates with international partners and NGOs to support the Rohingya courageously seeking justice in the courts of Argentina for the atrocities committed against them," she said. Zeya said they are actively working with civil society and members of the Rohingya community to document the atrocities and other abuses committed against them.   Secretary Blinken’s determination in March 2022 that members of Myanmar’s military committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Rohingya was a historic occasion.   This marked only the eighth time the United States has come to such a critical conclusion, she said.  "We must take into account the needs of survivors, including creating the conditions to enable refugees’ safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return. We must address the military’s continued impunity for human rights abuses. And, we must support the fight for justice for those who have suffered," Zeya said.   The US official said, "Taking these steps is how we can ensure a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Myanmar that respects the human rights of all."

Foreign ministers at the 22nd Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM), held in London, have called upon Myanmar to comply with the "Provisional Measures’ by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). "The world must not forget that it was Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's extraordinary courage, compassion and humanitarian decision to open up border and heart to more than 750,000 Rohingyas in 2017 that saved the world from witnessing a human catastrophe," said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam at the meeting. Highlighting the serious ramifications of the prolonged stay of 1.2 million Rohingyas for Bangladesh and the region, Shahriar said the earliest repatriation of all forcibly displaced Rohingyas back to their ancestral homeland in Rakhine in safety and dignity remains Bangladesh's compelling priority. He lauded the Gambia for pursuing the ICJ case on the question of Myanmar's accountability and commended Canada, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK for joining the Gambia's side, said the Bangladesh High Commission in London on Friday. Amid declining foreign attention and assistance, Canada called on the Commonwealth nations to continue their support for the cause of Rohingyas until they can return to their rightful homes in Myanmar. The Gambia appreciated the "outstanding generosity" of Hasina for continued hosting of Rohingyas and urged more Commonwealth countries to join their side in the ICJ case, highlighting the importance of accountability and repatriation issues for a sustainable solution to this protracted crisis. The UK stressed the sustainable return of Rohingyas while the Commonwealth nations expressed solidarity with Bangladesh.  

Bangladesh Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Permanent Representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Mohammad Javed Patwari has sought the help of OIC member states to continue the Rohingya genocide case lodged by Gambia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).  Javed sought the help at the ad-hoc meeting of OIC ministers on Myanmar’s accountability for violating the human rights of the Rohingyas — held in Jeddah on Thursday.  “Bangladesh has already provided USD .5 million to the volunteer fund to continue the Rohingya genocide case at ICJ and is about to provide USD .2 million more in the coming days. Besides, we’ve built new infrastructure at Bhasan Char for the Rohingya people at a cost of USD 350 million, which has been allocated from our own fund,” Javed said.  Read: EU announces € 3m for Rohingyas in Bhasan Char Javed added that Bangladesh needs the help of OIC countries as the assistance received till now is much less than the required amount. “The solution to the Rohingya problem through ICJ is a long-term process and we need to carry on our activities to this end intensively. It’s a question of providing justice to an uprooted people who have been deprived of their ethnic existence. That’s why all of us need to show solidarity, support and provide assistance to the ICJ case,” Javed added.  During the meeting, the ambassador praised the voluntary contributions and pledges made by some OIC countries and thanked Gambia’s representatives at the ICJ along with OIC Secretariat and member states for lodging the case against Myanmar.  Read: Dhaka seeks proactive role from Thailand, ASEAN to repatriate Rohingya The meeting was presided over by Gambia’s Minister of Justice Dawda Jallow. Permanent representatives of OIC countries including Saudi Arabia and Turkey also spoke during the meeting. 

The United Nations' highest court is ruling Friday on whether to proceed with a landmark case that accuses Myanmar's rulers of genocide against the country's mainly Muslim Rohingya minority. The International Court of Justice is set to deliver its decision on Myanmar's claims that the Hague-based court does not have jurisdiction and that the case filed by the tiny African nation of Gambia in 2019 is inadmissible. If judges reject Myanmar's objections, they will set the stage for court hearings airing evidence of atrocities against the Rohingya that rights groups and a U.N. probe say amount to breaches of the 1948 Genocide Convention. In March, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that violent repression of the Rohingya population in Myanmar amounts to genocide. Amid international outrage at the treatment of the Rohingya, Gambia filed the case with the world court alleging that Myanmar is breaching the genocide convention. The nation argued that both Gambia and Myanmar are parties to the convention and that all signatories have a duty to ensure it is enforced. Also read: Dhaka urges Jakarta to do more for repatriation of Rohingya refugees Lawyers representing Myanmar argued in February that the case should be tossed out because the world court only hears cases between states and the Rohingya complaint was brought by Gambia on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. They also claimed that Gambia could not bring the case to court as it was not directly linked to the events in Myanmar and that a legal dispute did not exist between the two countries before the case was filed. Gambia’s Attorney General and Justice Minister Dawda Jallow insisted in February that the case should go ahead and that it was brought by his country, not the OIC. “We are no one’s proxy,” Jallow told the court. The Netherlands and Canada are backing Gambia, saying in 2020 that the country “took a laudable step towards ending impunity for those committing atrocities in Myanmar and upholding this pledge. Canada and the Netherlands consider it our obligation to support these efforts which are of concern to all of humanity.” Myanmar’s military launched what it called a clearance campaign in Rakhine state in 2017 in the aftermath of an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled into neighboring Bangladesh and Myanmar security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and torching thousands of homes. Also read: Rohingya Repatriation: Dhaka seeks proactive role from Indonesia, ASEAN In 2019, lawyers representing Gambia at the ICJ outlined their allegations of genocide by showing judges maps, satellite images and graphic photos of the military campaign. That led the court to order Myanmar to do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya. The interim ruling was intended to protect the minority while the case is decided in The Hague, a process likely to take years. The ICJ case was complicated by last year's military coup in Myanmar. The decision to allow the Southeast Asian nation's military-installed government to represent the country at the February hearings drew sharp criticism. A shadow administration known as the National Unity Government made up of representatives including elected lawmakers who were prevented from taking their seats by the 2021 military coup had argued that it should be representing Myanmar in court. The International Court of Justice rules on disputes between states. It is not linked to the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, which holds individuals accountable for atrocities. Prosecutors at the ICC are investigating crimes committed against the Rohingya who were forced to flee to Bangladesh.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Chair of Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana, on Tuesday reaffirms the proposal of the group for peaceful settlement of the dispute between Guyana and Venezuela through the intervention of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). ''Bangladesh looks forward to steering the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana to reach a peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and international adjudication which also is in line with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's visionary foreign policy doctrine," Momen said. The foreign minister attended the virtual meeting for the second time during his tenure as the chairman. Bangladesh took over the chairmanship from South Africa for this Ministerial Group. Read: Bangladesh to be voice of climate vulnerable countries: FM The Group is currently overseeing the long-standing territorial dispute between the British Guyana and Venezuela over their maritime territory. Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Patricia Scotland and Foreign Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda, Canada, Guyana, Jamaica and the UK were present in the meeting. Momen reiterated firm and unswerving support for the maintenance and preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana. He assured that Bangladesh would steer the deliberations of this Ministerial Group's work towards a peaceful settlement of the territorial dispute between Guyana-Venezuela.

The UN’s high court said Wednesday it has the jurisdiction to rule on a bid by Iran to overturn US sanctions that were reinstated during former President Donald Trump’s administration. “The Court finds that it has jurisdic

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has given The Gambia until May 20 within which the country may present a written statement of its observations and submissions on the preliminary objections raised by Myanmar.

Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Mustafa Osman Turan has said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has demonstrated true leadership by allowing shelter to over 700 thousand Rohingyas with a decent living condition.