Bangladesh seeks US support for Rohingya return
The government on Thursday sought support from the United States for immediate repatriation of the displaced Rohingya people from Bangladesh and their rehabilitation in Myanmar....
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Bangladesh seeks US support for Rohingya return
US sees Bangladesh as centrepiece of IPS
Diplomatic Correspondent | Published: 12:22, Oct 15,2020 | Updated: 00:32, Oct 16,2020
Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen gives US deputy secretary of state Stephen Biegun an elbow greeting during a meeting in Dhaka on Thursday. — Sourav Lasker
The government on Thursday sought support from the United States for immediate repatriation of the displaced Rohingya people from Bangladesh and their rehabilitation in Myanmar.
In a meeting with the US deputy secretary Stephan Beigun at her official residence in Dhaka, prime minister Sheikh Hasina emphasised the need for the support from the international community, including the US, for the immediate repatriation of over 1.1 million Rohingya people from Bangladesh.
‘We want immediate repatriation of the Rohingyas while the world community, including the United States, should help to rehabilitate them in their homeland,’ she said, according to the state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.
Prime minister’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the press after the meeting. Describing the Rohingya people as ‘an extra burden’ on Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said that the problem had been created by Myanmar and they should be responsible for taking back their citizens.
Some quarters could mislead them by engaging them in antisocial activities. So, we need to ensure their immediate repatriation,’ she said.
Stephan Beigun said the US wanted permanent solutions to the Rohingya crisis by addressing the underlying issues of the problem.
The US official also called on foreign minister AK Abdul Momen earlier on the day.
Stephan, in his meetings, said that Bangladesh could play a key role in the Indo-Pacific Strategy promulgated by the US, with participation of India, Japan and Australia, meeting sources said. ‘The United States sees Bangladesh as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific region and we are committed to growing our partnership in this regard to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific. Bangladesh will be a centrepiece of our work in the region,’ he said at a joint press conference with the foreign minister.
Foreign minister Momen, however, said there was no discussion on the matter. The two sides also discussed the issue of bringing back Rashed Chowdhury, a convicted fugitive killer of Bangladesh’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Rashed has been hiding in the USA since 2006.
Stephen, in this regard, informed the Bangladesh officials that the case is being reviewed by the US attorney general office.
He said the visa services for Bangladeshi students will be reopened after the easing of the pandemic restrictions.
Bangladesh officials also requested the US for extending preferential advantage in export of products to the US market and sought US government’s support for investment from the country.
US ambassador in Dhaka Earl Miller was present in the meetings, among others.
Stephen reached Dhaka from New Delhi on Wednesday as a part of his six-day official visit to India and Bangladesh starting from October 12 to October 16. In his meeting with Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on October 13, the two sides discussed — under the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership — matters pertaining to politics, security and defence, and a number of regional and global issues of mutual interest, according to press release of Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
