Addressing the emergency meeting of the executive committee of OIC, especially on the Lebanon situation, at Hotel Marriot Putrajaya in Putrajaya, the prime minister strongly condemned Israel for the brutality of its actions and the blatant violation of human rights.

She also called for urgent deployment of an international force for stabilising the Israeli-Lebanon border under the United Nations (UN).

Placing the demands at the OIC meet, the prime minister observed that political issues cannot be resolved by military means--history has proved time and again the futility of this approach.

"Violence begets violence. Its continuation carries the danger of a spillover that will have disastrous consequences. This will surely add to radicalisation in the Muslim world. The latter, in turn, will increase difficulties for those of us on the side of moderation," she said.

The prime minister mooted a four-point proposal for brokering peace on the war front that also includes holding of an UN-sponsored conference on ways and means of enhancing the authority of the Lebanese government and immediate reconstruction of its economy and infrastructure.

She also stressed the need for UN-sponsored comprehensive Middle East peace by ensuring formation of an independent and sovereign state of Palestine.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the current chairman of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Conference), opened the one-day emergency executive committee meeting of the 57-nation forum of Muslim countries.

Khaleda told the meeting the OIC should play a more proactive role in the ME peace process and Bangladesh will lend its full support to whatever course of action the OIC may decide.

She said the OIC leaders have assembled in the session to issue a firm call to the Israeli leadership for bringing an immediate halt to the violence that it has let loose.

"I appeal to you to take the lead in getting our message across Israel by the best means available at your disposal to end violence forthwith and get the peace process back on track," she told the meeting.

“We are here not to fan hate but to express our anguish and indignation at the Israeli atrocities. We are here not to incite passion of retaliation and more bloodletting," she said, making clear Bangladesh's stand on the conflict.

Khaleda said the senselessness in choosing the path of violence cannot bring about whatever ends the Israeli government wishes to achieve.

Congratulating the OIC chairman for convening this open-ended session of the OIC, Khaleda noted that this is a time when the sovereignty of the brotherly member-country of Lebanon is being flagrantly violated. Its innocent citizens are being killed and their homes destroyed by wanton aerial and artillery bombardment by Israeli forces.

However, she said a question that may come up is why this meeting could not be convened earlier.

"Our task here is quite onerous and demanding. We need to act together and we need to be principled in our approach," she said.

Khaleda observed that the Israeli aggression has not only caused deaths of hundreds of innocent Lebanese, including women and children, but also members of UN interim force in Lebanon.

The Israeli senseless act of killing the innocent children has shocked the world conscience. The civilised society, she lamented, does not have any word strong enough to express its indignation.

The prime minister said this crisis has been thrust upon Lebanon when it was just struggling to move towards a viable national reconstruction mode, after decades of civil war and Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon.

At the same time, the Israelis have also been systematically destroying Gaza's infrastructure, inflicting damages on the Palestinian economy and undermining its democratic government, she added.

Khaleda mentioned that the UN Secretary General, in his remarks to the international conference in Lebanon on July 26, recommended some immediate actions. They are undoubtedly pertinent. "But we feel that he has missed out on the main issue. If Israel wants to live in peace with its neighbours, it has to deal with their democratically elected representatives."

Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan, Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin, Secretary to the Prime Minister Khandaker Shahidul Islam and Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Shafi U Ahmed were present at the session as members of the Bangladesh delegation.