Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has sought support from Russia for the early repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar's Rakhine State.
The minister made the request as newly appointed Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Vikentyevich Mantytskiy met him at his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, reports UNB.
Bangladesh continues to bear the burden of over 1.1 million Rohingyas as no repatriation took place over the last four years amid a "lack of initiative" from Myanmar and "inadequate steps" by the international community.
Four years ago, Myanmar's military launched a horrific "ethnic cleansing" against the Rohingya in northern Rakhine State. The brutality of the military’s atrocities on that day shocked the conscience of the international community.
During the meeting, Dr Momen also recalled the contributions of Russia during the 1971 War of Liberation and post-independence rebuilding efforts of Bangladesh.
The foreign minister said the two countries can host programmes marking 50 years of their diplomatic relations.
He hoped that the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant would be opened in 2023 in the presence of his Russian counterpart.
