Palestinians are oppressed in homeland: Envoy

Staff Reporter :
The Palestinian Ambassador to Bangladesh, Yousef SY Ramadan, has expressed that his people find themselves oppressed in their homeland, leading a life akin to that of refugees.

“Globally, we are stateless citizens.

We are subjugated in our own land. We must live our refugee lives. How long will we continue in this responsibility?” he said while speaking at the Jatiya National Press Club on Thursday at an event organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association Bangladesh.

The Envoy also stated that they are satisfied with the support and assistance from Bangladesh.

“You have supported Palestine because you are on behalf of justice and humanity. We are obtaining continuous support from the people of Bangladesh,” he said. He advocated for an independent Palestine and its rights, acknowledging the direct conflict with Israel.

However, he also noted that the ongoing diplomatic discourse favouring Western interests is hindering the resolution process.

Ambassador Yousuf questioned why Palestine has to protect its own land at such a cost in blood.

“How long will we sustain ourselves without electricity, water, food, and shelter? How long will we pay the price to obtain justice? Where is the humanity of other countries?” he questioned.

He pointed out that Bangladesh is doing more for its Palestinian brothers than many other countries.

He remarked that unity is lacking even among the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states.

Ambassador Yousuf expressed the desire for peace and emphasised the historical ties of Palestinians with the land.

“From the time of Ibrahim (AS), we are the inheritors of this land. We have allowed Israelis to stay here. They can live with us, but we cannot. We have been here for six thousand years.”