US veto of UNSC resolution for ceasefire disappointing: FM

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud speaks to the media on 22 February, 2024Courtesy

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has slammed the United States (US) as it vetoed a resolution raised at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

He described the issue as 'disappointing' while talking to reporters at the foreign ministry on Thursday afternoon.

The foreign minister said not only are women and children indiscriminately killed in Gaza, but also all basic supply systems, including water and electricity, are being systematically disrupted.

Hospitals are being raided, and gross human rights violations are being committed, which are clear violations of international law.

While some people talk about the safety of Israelis, Hasan Mahmud questioned where the safety as well as rights of Palestinian women and children went.

“We have a very friendly relationship with the US. But this veto is deeply disappointing. We do not want war anywhere; let the war stop,” he said.

Algeria proposed a resolution in the UNSC for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. In a voting on Tuesday, the US vetoed the proposal, rendering it no longer accepted.

Regarding the upcoming visit of US Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Afreen Akhter to Bangladesh, the foreign minister said President Joe Biden's letter is very important to further the relationship with the US. The visit of their officials will deepen and broaden the relationship between the two countries.