<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thusday asked the Muslim Ummah to collectively stand beside the Palestinians.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The premier made this call when the ambassadors and high commissioners of seven OIC member states, who are stationed in Dhaka, paid a joint courtesy call on her at her office here in the city.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The seven foreign diplomats are Algerian Ambassador Rabah Larbi, Malaysian High Commissioner Haznah Md Hashim, Maldivian High Commissioner Shiruzimath Sameer, Oman’s ambassador Abdul Ghaffar Bin Abdul Karim Al-Bulushi, Palestinian Ambassador Yousef SY Ramadan, Saudi Arabian Ambassador Essa Yousef Essa Alduhailan and UAE Ambassador Abdullah Ali Abdullah Khaseif Alhmoudi.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PM's Speech Writer Md Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hasina said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman supported Palestine and following this she herself has been standing beside the Palestinians.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Muslim Ummah should collectively stand by the Palestinians," she was quoted as saying.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The foreign diplomats highly appreciated the leadership of the prime minister for the last 14-year development and stability of Bangladesh, particularly for tackling the Covid-19 pandemic successfully.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They wished that the people of Bangladesh stay well and remain happy under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina. So, they (envoys) as members of Muslim Ummah are happy and proud of it, they said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They mentioned that some seven million Bangladeshi people are working in the Middle East countries, making a huge contribution to the economies of the host countries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They hoped that the progress of Bangladesh would continue under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina and wished her success in the next general election.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In this context, the PM said a neutral election commission was constituted through enactment of a new law and she wants that the election will be fair.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said if the people vote for her, she would come to power again and otherwise not as she believes in the power of the people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She has been working not for her rather for the country and its people, the PM said, adding that her goal is to make the socio-economic uplift of the people of the country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The premier said the government is working to ensure houses for all the homeless and landless people. Now in the final phase, some 40,000 houses are being constructed. Nobody will remain homeless and landless after distribution of these 40,000 abodes, she added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PM’s International Relation Affairs Adviser Prof Dr Gowher Rizvi, Ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin and PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>