Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon international organizations, including International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRS), to help rehabilitate the displaced Rohingyas in Myanmar.
“We want the international organizations to be active for repatriation and rehabilitation of the Rohingya nationals so that they can go back to their homeland,” she said as ICRC head of delegation in Bangladesh Ikhtiyar Aslanov paid a farewell call on her at her parliament office in Dhaka on Thursday.
After the meeting, the prime minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters, reports BSS.
During the meet, Sheikh Hasina said the local people of Cox’s Bazar are suffering the most due to the exodus of over 1.1 million Rohingyas there.
Putting emphasis again on repatriation of the Rohingyas, she questioned how long Bangladesh will bear the burden.
The ICRC head of delegation assured that his organization will continue to support Bangladesh on this issue and highly appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her wise decision and humanitarian gesture of giving shelter to the Rohingyas.
“Bangladesh people are resilient,” he said, adding both the government and people came forward to look after the Rohingyas.
“Your approach was very wise and good for the solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis by engaging Myanmar,” he told the premier.
In this regard, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh signed agreements with Myanmar for repatriation of the Rohingyas.
“But the Myanmar authorities are yet to act in this regard,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said all international organizations have come forward to the help the Rohingyas.
The ICRC head of delegation highly appreciated Bangladesh’s success in disaster management.
In this regard, the premier said it was Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who first started construction of cyclone shelters in coastal areas of the country after independence.
The ICRC head of delegation expressed gratitude to the government and the prime minister for extending support to him during his tenure in Bangladesh.
Prime minister's International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi and PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hassan were present on the occasion.
