Salahuddin Ahmed calls for global support for Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar
He stressed the need for stronger international engagement to achieve a lasting and sustainable solution to the crisis.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has called on the international community to play a more effective role in resolving the Rohingya crisis and ensuring the sustainable repatriation of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals to their homeland.
He made the call during a courtesy meeting with Julie Isabel Bishop, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on Myanmar, at his office in the Ministry of Home Affairs at Bangladesh Secretariat today (19 October).
During the meeting, the two sides discussed Myanmar's current political and security situation, various aspects of the Rohingya crisis, and the repatriation of displaced people.
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Ahmed also said Bangladesh had been facing a severe and prolonged crisis after providing humanitarian shelter to hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals fleeing internal conflict in their country.
He stressed the need for stronger international engagement to achieve a lasting and sustainable solution to the crisis.
Julie Bishop outlined the prevailing conflict situation in Myanmar and said she was continuing diplomatic engagement and maintaining regular communication with relevant parties to help end the conflict and ensure the protection of civilians.
The meeting also expressed concern over the prevalence of landmines in border areas, human trafficking and drug smuggling, as well as their regional and global implications.
Both sides underscored the importance of creating an enabling environment through political dialogue and mutual cooperation to facilitate the safe, dignified and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees to their homeland in Myanmar.
Additional Secretary of the Political and Immigration Wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs Dr Ziauddin Ahmed, Joint Secretary of the Political-1 Wing Rebka Khan, UN Resident Coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak, Senior Political Affairs Officer Duncan Keith Wilson, and UNHCR Deputy Representative Juliette Murekeyisoni, among others, attended the meeting.
