New york: Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today called for establishing an independent State of Palestine following the two-state solution. “On behalf of the people of Bangladesh and of conscientious citizens across the world, I once again make a strong appeal: the two-state solution must be implemented now, through the establishment of an independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he said.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the chief adviser made the call while addressing the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly in the USA. He emphasized that only on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace, can justice be done.
“I have always spoken the language of hope. I have never believed in frightening people into action. But today I must depart from that habit, for the truth before us is frightening,” he stated. He warned that extreme nationalism, geopolitics thriving on the suffering of others, and indifference to human pain are undermining the progress humanity has achieved through decades of struggle.
He highlighted that the tragedy is most visible in Gaza, where children are dying of hunger and civilians are being indiscriminately killed. “Entire neighborhoods, including hospitals and schools, are being wiped out from the map. We do agree with the UN independent international inquiry commission that we are witnessing a genocide happening live. Unfortunately, on behalf of humanity, we are not doing enough to stop it. If this continues, neither future generations nor history will forgive us,” said Prof Yunus.
In Bangladesh, he noted, there is a strong belief in building a culture of peace rooted in the values of tolerance, nonviolence, dialogue, and cooperation at every societal level. For over three and a half decades, Bangladesh has been a leading contributor to United Nations peacekeepers, demonstrating its commitment to global peace and security.
Currently, nearly 6,000 Bangladeshi peacekeepers are serving in some of the world’s most volatile regions under the UN flag, and 168 peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Research consistently shows that UN peacekeeping missions are more sustainable and effective than unilateral interventions, he noted.
“We therefore call for clear and achievable mandates and adequate funding for peacekeeping operations. We must also give the highest priority to the safety of peacekeepers and ensure accountability for crimes committed against them,” Prof Yunus asserted. Bangladesh also actively promotes multilingualism both domestically and internationally, believing that linguistic and cultural diversity deepens mutual understanding.
In the twenty-first century, there should be no place for hatred, intolerance, racism, xenophobia, or Islamophobia in any society, the chief adviser emphasized. However, he expressed concern that disinformation and hate speech have become significant issues.
In the aftermath of last year’s popular uprising in Bangladesh, certain vested groups deliberately spread false narratives, and such disinformation persists even now, he explained. The problem is further compounded by the use of fake news and artificial intelligence-driven ‘deepfakes,’ making the situation more dangerous. “We must work together to confront these distortions before they erode trust among people and weaken the bonds of social harmony,” he added.
President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Annalena Baerbock presided over the session.