Bangladesh to Provide All Possible Support for Rohingya Repatriation: PM

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said Bangladesh will provide all possible support for the repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland. He said returning to their own country would create opportunities for Rohingyas to improve their living standards in areas including education and healthcare. Bangladesh is also prepared to provide necessary assistance for the rehabilitation of Rohingyas in Myanmar after their repatriation.

The Prime Minister made the remarks during a courtesy meeting with Yohei Sasakawa, Special Envoy of the Government of Japan for National Reconciliation in Myanmar and Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Secretariat on Monday. The Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Swadhin later confirmed the matter.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Special Envoy thanked the Prime Minister for giving him time and highlighted the long-standing friendly relations between Bangladesh and Japan. Mr. Sasakawa said he had been working for nearly 50 years to promote peace and reduce discrimination in different parts of the world. He also briefed the Prime Minister on his role as Japan’s Special Envoy for National Reconciliation in Myanmar.

Referring to the Rohingya crisis as a major burden on Bangladesh, the Japanese Special Envoy said he was aware of the situation. He also highlighted various grants and humanitarian assistance provided by the Japanese government to support the Rohingyas. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman thanked Mr. Sasakawa for visiting Bangladesh and praised his long-standing humanitarian work. He said the Rohingya crisis is one of Bangladesh’s biggest challenges. He thanked the Japanese government for standing by Bangladesh in dealing with the crisis.

PM Tarique Rahman said Bangladesh is already a densely populated country. Hosting a large number of Rohingyas for a long period has placed additional pressure on the country’s economy, infrastructure and overall management system. The Prime Minister urged the Japanese Special Envoy to play a role from his position in ensuring the safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland.

The Special Envoy said he had discussed the Rohingya crisis with the President of Myanmar. He said he believed the Myanmar government was sincere about resolving the crisis. However, he noted that the current complex situation in Rakhine State means that it will take time to make progress on Rohingya repatriation. The Special Envoy assured the Prime Minister that he would make his utmost efforts from his position to help resolve the Rohingya crisis.

The meeting also discussed the need to strengthen multilateral initiatives and international cooperation for a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis, rather than relying only on bilateral efforts.
The Prime Minister also urged the Special Envoy to cooperate in establishing a vaccine production centre in Bangladesh. The Special Envoy said he would work on the matter sincerely.

In addition, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh is interested in attracting Japanese investment and that the government is working to ensure an investment-friendly environment in the country.
He also expressed Bangladesh’s interest in further improving bilateral relations with Myanmar.

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Prime Minister’s Economic and Planning Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs-1 Humayun Kabir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs-2 Shama Obaed Islam, and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Shakirul Islam Khan were present at the meeting.