Canada has proposed forming an international alliance to address the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic.
It has also urged Bangladesh to join the proposed alliance to soften the coronavirus impact unitedly, said a spokesperson of the Bangladesh foreign ministry on Thursday.
The issue was discussed during the telephone conversation between Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and his Canadian counterpart François-Philippe Champagne on Wednesday night, the official said.
Dr Momen urged Canada to help Bangladesh absorb the shock of the coronavirus pandemic on its economy.
He said the readymade sector, the main export earner of the country, has been hit hard by the pandemic.
The minister told his Canadian counterpart that as a major RMG importing country, Canada can play a vital role in revamping the Bangladesh's RMG factories which have employed over 4 million workers.
He also sought Canadian support in addressing the problems surfaced in the wake of the retrenchment of a large number of Bangladeshi workers in the middle east countries.
Mr Momen, especially, requested the Canadian minister to take necessary steps so that Noor Chowdhury, a fugitive killer of Bangabanndhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, can be brought back to Bangladesh, said the spokesperson.
He said if the government would be able to implement the court verdict after bringing back the fugitive killer, it would be a great achievement of the people of Bangladesh.
Noor Chowdhury was sentenced to death by the apex court of Bangladesh.
The Canadian foreign minister said his country always stands beside Bangladesh during any crisis.
He pointed out that Canada has been engaged with its partner countries for the safe and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas.
The Canadian minister assured Bangladesh of extending all kinds of support to resolve the Rohingya issue and lauded Bangladesh's role in providing shelter to over one million Rohingya refugees.
He also observed that providing shelter to the Rohingyas was a collective responsibility of the countries across the world.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com