"Bangladesh is certainly among the countries that stand to benefit from the programme," he said in an exclusive interview with BSS Chief Editor Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury recently in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on the sidelines of a conference.

He said Bangladesh's commitment to the OIC from the "Day One" of its entry in the OIC has been unflinching regardless of the fact which the government is in power in that country. "With unwavering commitment and a sizeable population, Bangladesh is making contribution to the causes of OIC in every possible way," said the Turkish scholar, now serving as the chief executive of the Jeddah-based 53-nation body.

The three-day just-concluded conference in the lovely Caspian sea city drew participants from both Muslim and non-Islamic nations with politicians, scholars, media figures and diplomats deliberating for three days on various aspects of media-related issues with particular reference to Islam and the Muslim community.

The OIC sponsored the conference in cooperation with the government of Azerbaijan.

Dr Ekmeleddin said the OIC is now very much in the focus as the organisation is striving hard to make itself more relevant to the causes of its members as well as promoting peace and understanding across the world in a larger perspective. He said the organisation is sparing no efforts to accomplish the twin objectives of Islamic cohesion on one hand and global peace and harmony on the other.

The OIC secretary general particularly referred to the position taken by the OIC on the cartoon issue on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by the newspaper of a European country and said the matter brought the Muslims and sensible non-Muslims under the same umbrella as great care is being stressed in dealing with sensitive matters.

He said the Baku conference discussed all these matters with a view to promoting understanding and laid importance on the role of media in this regard.

Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Dr Elmar Mammadyarov, former Romanian president Ion Lliescu, Terry Devis, Secretary General, Council of Europe and Saudi Assistant Minister for Culture and Information Abdul Aziz A Bin Salamah attended the conference.

More than 150 participants included Lord Nazir Ahmed, British MP, media editors from Arab nations, the United States, Canada, Japan and other countries.

Chief Editor and Managing Director of the national news agency BSS was the participant from Bangladesh.

The deliberations during the business sessions generated heated debates and discussions on several issues pertaining to the portrayal of Islam and its alleged linkages with "terrorism" mainly in a section of the western press as well as "bigots" seeking to characterise the entire western press as biased and anti-Muslim in approach.

The conference was near-unanimous that the media needs to the more careful in dealing with a sensitive religious mater like the cartoon published in some European countries on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that hurt the sentiments of most people across the world. Many non-Muslim participants severely criticised such acts and said freedom of media must not be abused. At the same time, several Muslim discussants opined that religious groups need to refrain from inciting people on religious lines.

The conference adopted resolutions calling for tolerance and application of a finer mind in promoting understanding among the people cutting across religious divides.

The OIC secretary general, in his interview praised, the outcome of the conference, saying it would help remove many misconceptions about Islam, which is a religion of peace and tranquillity while maintaining its own distinct characteristics.

He lauded the Islamic values of Bangladesh and said people of the country have an example of religious harmony and tolerance as much as the overwhelmingly majority are proud of being Muslims. Islam spread the message of love and fraternity with all, the OIC secretary general stressed and hoped that the true message of Islam must not be misinterpreted.