Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has called for stronger global efforts to confront historical injustices and eliminate slavery and oppression.
He made the call while addressing a commemorative meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade yesterday (25 March).
The foreign minister paid solemn tribute to the millions of victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, while also honouring the extraordinary courage and resilience of those who bravely resisted it.
He underscored that the Constitution of Bangladesh rejects imperialism, colonialism, racism, and discrimination, and reiterated the country’s solidarity with oppressed peoples worldwide, said a media release today (26 March).
Recalling the centenary of the 1926 Slavery Convention and nearly 80 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the foreign minister said that although slavery has been abolished, its legacy persists in modern society, economy, and politics with various forms still existing worldwide.
Acknowledging the enduring impacts of the transatlantic slave trade, Khalilur Rahman emphasised that action must go beyond remembrance, calling for renewed efforts to combat human trafficking, coordinated measures in digital forensics, and greater investment in education and dialogue on the human and civilisational costs of slavery.
Reaffirming this solemn commitment, he urged the global community to work together to build a world where slavery and oppression have no place.
