Dr Hasan Mahmud, Information and Broadcasting Minister of Bangladesh and ruling Awami League Joint General Secretary has mocked main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for taking “side of Israel by keeping mum on the Palestine issue”.
The minister said, “BNP leaders including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir are remained silent on Palestine issue when the innocent Palestinians and children are being killed [by Israel] like birds. You should know them”.
Dr Hasan Mahmud further said, Prime “Minister Sheikh Hasina has protested the killings. I also have protested the killings of innocent people as a joint general secretary of Awami League and the information minister. On the other hand, BNP is remained silent. They are silent as a large group might be unhappy which means they are in favor of Israel.
It may be mentioned here that, Dr Hasan Mahmud has been a diehard opponent of Israel, while he did not condemn Hamas pogrom on Israel and slaughter of Israeli, American, European and Asian nationals.
It may also be mentioned here that while Bangladeshi government had been extremely biased towards the Palestinians, it might have forgotten, Palestine and its leaders including Yaseer Arafat had been violently and openly opposed to the war of independence of Bangladesh in 1971. According to documented facts, during the war of independence of Bangladesh, Mohammed Amin al-Husseini, a Palestinian Arab nationalist and Muslim leader in “Mandatory Palestine” had openly called upon the Muslim nations to extend support towards Pakistan.
According to media reports, US President Joe Biden on October 13 said, said Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which brutally attacked Israel on October 7, is worse than Al Qaeda, the organization behind the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Meanwhile, Israeli newspaper Arutz Sheva in a report said, the US President Joe Biden on Friday spoke for over an hour with families of 14 Americans who are missing following Hamas’ attack on Israel. Commenting of Hamas pogrom, he said, “The more we learned about the attack, the more horrifying it becomes. More than 1,000 — 1,000 innocent lives lost, including at least 27 Americans. These guys make, they make al Qaeda look pure. They’re pure evil”.
“The United States, make no mistake about it, stands with Israel”, he added.
Biden later said at an event in Philadelphia, “They’re going through agony not knowing what the status of their sons, daughters, husbands, wives, children, are. You know, it’s gut-wrenching.
“I assured them of my personal commitment to do everything possible to return every missing American to their families. We’re working around the clock to secure the release of Americans held by Hamas, in close cooperation with Israel and our partners around the region. We’re not going to stop until we bring them home”.
The White House said the president was joined on the phone call with the families by special envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Undersecretary of State John Bass, and National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East Brett McGurk, the White House said.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the president told the families they’ve been in his prayers, and expressed the United States’ commitment to doing everything possible to bring their loved ones home.
Biden has been consistent with his condemnation of the Hamas attack and of his support for Israel.
On October 11, Biden spoke to heads of Jewish organizations and said, “My commitment to Israel’s security and the safety of the Jewish people is unshakable. The United States has Israel’s back and I have yours as well, both at home and abroad”.
“The miracle of Israel is Israel itself. The hope it inspires. The light it represents to the world. I was asked in one of my very frank conversations with Bibi [Benjamin Netanyahu] and [President] Herzog why do I feel so deeply about this? It’s not about the region. I truly believe that were there no Israel, no Jew in the world will be ultimately safe. It’s the only ultimate guarantee”, he added.
A day earlier, Biden delivered an address to the American people and the world focusing on the Hamas terrorist attack.
He noted that the US has a special interest in the war against Hamas for the sake of its own citizens. “We now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas. I’m directing my team to share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise their Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts. Because as President, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world”.
