World Peace Conference-2021: Ensure equal opportunities

President Abdul Hamid yesterday urged the world leaders to work for ending discriminations based on race, faith, colour, religion and ethnicity and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

He made the call while inaugurating the "World Peace Conference-2021" that has brought together global thinkers, writers, poets, singers and political personalities, aiming to promote a culture of peace and tolerance.

"A fair international system is also essential for all people of the world. We shouldn't forget that we live in a shared planet and we have shared responsibilities, too," he said.

Hamid said Bangladesh believes that peace around the world is the best guarantee for the country's national security following the constitutional obligations.

"We will continue our efforts to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and promote peace across the globe."

He urged all to leave aside the path of division, join hands and walk together on the path of peace.

The president said the world is facing numerous challenges and conflicts and the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the weakness of systems.

"Unless we are united and ensure mutual peace and harmony, we won't be able to secure a safe and habitable world for our children and future generations which is already grappling with adverse effects of climate change," Hamid said.

He also highlighted how global inequities and injustices are the real threats to international peace.

Former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon sent a pre-recorded video message to the programme. He called upon all to prioritise peace, sustainability and inclusion for a brighter future for all.

He laid emphasis on joint efforts to fight the pandemic and called for equal sharing of vaccines.

'Let's dream of a better world'

Speaking at the event, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen hoped that there will be peace across the world following an end to violence, war and terror with the active support from the international community.

"These activities and violence, whether against Rohingyas or Palestinians, are manmade ones. Since these are manmade, I've a dream: One day with your active support, we can end violence, war and terror," he said.

Momen hoped that no child will be without family, no soldier will lift his weapons to take another man's life, disastrous bombs and hateful minds hopefully will be replaced by flowers of friendship and peace.

He said courageous leaders like Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman are needed to end violence and achieve peace.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, chair of the organising committee of the World Peace Conference, former Indian minister for civil aviation, railways, commerce and industry Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation Chairman Syed Hamid Albar, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen also spoke at the event.

The speakers talked about the Rohingya crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, equal distribution of vaccines, shared concerns over new the Covid variant and laid emphasis on equality and social inclusion.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will virtually attend the closing ceremony of the two-day conference today.

On the occasion of 50 years of Bangladesh's independence and the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh celebrates five decades of its peace-centric diplomacy aimed at promoting sustainable development, fundamental rights, freedom, social justice and inclusion.

Bangladesh is hosting the World Peace Conference as part of its celebrations of the Mujib Year, the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation, and the Golden Jubilee of the country's independence.

The idea of holding the conference is to let the world feel that peace has to be cherished in multifarious ways, perceiving that the invaluable contributions of the global pioneers are universal, and that peace will be sustainable only through social justice, equity and inclusiveness.