Bangladesh is already a densely populated country. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman commented that providing shelter to a large number of Rohingyas for a long time has created additional pressure on the country’s economy, infrastructure, and overall management.
On Monday (September 7), Yohei Sasakawa, Japan’s Special Envoy for National Reconciliation in Myanmar and Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at the Bangladesh Secretariat. During the meeting, various issues including the Rohingya crisis were discussed.
During the meeting, Sasakawa stated that he is aware that the Rohingya crisis has created significant pressure on Bangladesh. He also highlighted the various grants and humanitarian aid provided by the Japanese government to assist the Rohingyas. The Japanese special envoy mentioned that he has been working for nearly 50 years to establish peace and eliminate discrimination in various regions of the world.
The Prime Minister thanked the Japanese government for its cooperation in addressing the Rohingya crisis, referring to it as one of Bangladesh’s major crises. At the same time, he urged Japan’s special envoy to play a role in ensuring the safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland.
Tarique Rahman said that Bangladesh is also ready to provide necessary cooperation for the rehabilitation of Rohingyas in Myanmar after their repatriation. He added that returning to their own country would create opportunities for improving their living standards in various sectors, including education and health.
Sasakawa stated that he had discussions with the President of Myanmar regarding the Rohingya crisis. He believes that the Myanmar government is sincere in resolving the crisis, but due to the current complex situation in Rakhine State, progress in repatriation is taking time.
During the meeting, the necessity of strengthening multilateral initiatives and international cooperation, alongside bilateral efforts, for a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis was also discussed.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister discussed cooperation in establishing vaccine production centers in Bangladesh and Japanese investment. He stated that Bangladesh is working to ensure an investment-friendly environment. He also expressed Bangladesh’s interest in further improving bilateral relations with Myanmar.
Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Finance and Planning Advisor Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs-1 Humayun Kabir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs-2 Shama Obaed, and the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Shakirul Islam Khan were present at the meeting.
