Bangladesh has strongly condemned the escalation of violence in Palestine by Israel.

Condemning the Israeli action, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Reaz Rahman said the ill-bred intention of Israel to foil the peace process and undermine the legitimate rights of Palestinians would not go unchallenged by the international community.

Reaz Rahman was addressing an extraordinary session of OIC conference of Foreign Ministers on terrorism held in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on Monday, according to a message received here yesterday.

He extended full support of Bangladesh to the statement by the

OIC Foreign Ministers on the situation on Palestine, which was unanimously adopted by the meeting.

On the issue of terrorism Reaz Rahman underscored the need to sensitise the international community about the potential danger of identifying terrorism on religious grounds.

"It is unfortunate that the incontrovertible facts about Islam are being put to question by certain quarters due to misconception and narrowly defined interests," he said.

The state minister called for identifying the root causes of terrorism rather than only the symptoms of this phenomenon.

"The Islamic world should take the lead in advocating the need to address the root causes of terrorism rather than its symptoms," he observed.

Reaz Rahman said there should be sustained efforts for promoting dialogue and communication among different faiths, cultures and civilisations with a view to achieving peace, understanding and harmony.

He said the UN provided the best forum to bring the people of the world together to combat the menace of terrorism. The Islamic Ummah should coordinate its strategy and policy with the process of the universal body.