Bangladesh calls for global action to end slavery, oppression

Bangladesh has urged the international community to step up efforts to eliminate slavery and oppression in all forms, emphasising the need for concrete action beyond symbolic remembrance.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman made the appeal while addressing a commemorative meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, marking the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

A message received in Dhaka on Thursday morning confirmed the matter.

Paying tribute to the millions who suffered under slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, Dr Khalilur Rahman honoured the courage of those who resisted oppression.

He described the transatlantic slave trade as a lasting wound on humanity and reiterated Bangladesh’s firm opposition to slavery, apartheid, genocide, and all forms of discrimination.

Highlighting the principles enshrined in Bangladesh’s Constitution, Dr Khalilur Rahman underscored the nation’s rejection of imperialism, colonialism, racism and inequality, and expressed solidarity with oppressed communities around the world.

Khalilur Rahman also noted the historical significance of the centenary of the 1926 Slavery Convention and nearly 80 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

He stressed that although slavery has been formally abolished, its social, economic, and political legacies continue to affect millions, with modern forms of exploitation persisting globally.

Calling for tangible measures, the foreign minister emphasised the need to combat human trafficking, strengthen coordination in digital forensics, and increase investments in education and dialogue on the human costs of slavery.

“Commemoration alone is not enough,” Dr Khalilur Rahman said, urging the global community to unite in building a world free from oppression and exploitation.

He reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to working with international partners to address both the historic and contemporary challenges of slavery and systemic injustice.