'Guterres extends all-out support to Bangladesh'


FE Team | Published: September 28, 2018 18:15:31 | Updated: September 30, 2018 17:57:04


Photo: Focus Bangla

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has assured Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of his 'full support and all-out cooperation' for the people of Bangladesh.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque came up with the statement after a meeting between the Bangladesh premier and the UN secretary-general at the UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday, reports bdnews24.com.

Guterres highly praised the leadership of Hasina and her humanitarian roles on the Rohingyas brutally persecuted by Myanmar, Haque said.

“Bangladesh can become a role model about the Rohingya issue for many heads of state and government,” the UN secretary general told the Prime Minister.

While talking about the Rohingya issue, the UN secretary general put emphasis on the repatriation of the Rohingyas as soon as possible, said the foreign secretary.

Guterres also underscored the need for facing the climate change and requested Hasina to continue her leadership on this issue.

More than 700,000 people have fled violence in Myanmar to Bangladesh since August 25 last year. They joined 400,000 other refugees who arrived before them.

Under pressure from the international community, Myanmar signed an agreement with Bangladesh to take back the Rohingya refugees to Rakhine State at the end of last year. But there is no sign of the repatriation yet.

Previously, Guterres was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees between 2005 and 2015.  At that time, he visited Bangladesh.

After becoming the UN secretary-general, he again visited Bangladesh and went to the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar.

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