Dhaka Urges United Global Stand Against Hatred, Violence

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Sunday called for a united global stand against hatred, incitement and violence, both online and offline, warning that intolerance, discrimination and misinformation are deepening divisions across the world.

Speaking at the 11th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in Riyadh, he urged the international community to promote unity, mutual understanding and respect for diversity.

“We must reject every form of incitement to hatred, including on digital platforms, and stand firmly against violence, intolerance and discrimination,” Hossain said.

The adviser stressed the importance of empowering youth and strengthening intergenerational dialogue, placing young people at the centre of global efforts to foster respect across civilizations, cultures and beliefs. He also highlighted the need for inclusive education that promotes peace, tolerance and social cohesion.

He called for expanding cultural exchanges, arts, sports and responsible media as effective tools to build empathy and trust, while underscoring the need for justice and accountability for victims of forced displacement driven by ethnic discrimination.

The two-day forum is being hosted by the government of Saudi Arabia. Hossain arrived in Riyadh on Saturday and is expected to return to Bangladesh on Tuesday, according to a senior official.

At the forum, he expressed appreciation to the governments of Spain and Türkiye, the Group of Friends of the Alliance and the High Representative for their leadership in advancing intercultural dialogue.

Reiterating Bangladesh’s strong commitment to global peace, Hossain highlighted the country’s role as one of the leading contributors to UN peacekeeping operations. In this context, he strongly condemned the recent attack on a UN peacekeeping logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan, which killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and injured several others, describing it as a stark reminder of escalating global conflicts and humanitarian crises.

He warned that xenophobia, racism, intolerance and Islamophobia continue to spread across continents, while persecution and displacement based on ethnicity or religion undermine shared human values. At the same time, he noted that misinformation, hate speech and deepfakes are proliferating in the digital age, threatening peace and social harmony.

Against this backdrop, Hossain said Bangladesh remains firmly committed to intercultural and interfaith dialogue, tolerance and mutual respect. He cited Bangladesh’s annual UN resolution on the Culture of Peace as evidence of its belief that peace is built not only on the absence of conflict, but on justice, compassion and human dignity.

“True to this conviction, Bangladesh opened its doors to more than 1.2 million Rohingya victims of genocide in Myanmar, who must be allowed to return safely and with dignity to their homes,” he added.

Describing the Alliance of Civilizations as a beacon of dialogue where diversity becomes a shared strength, the adviser said that while progress has been made, much more remains to be done.