Australia’s support to Bangladesh over Rohingya to continue: Australian FM

Visiting Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne on Thursday said Australia will continue to provide strong support to Bangladesh on Rohingya issue.

Marise Payne said this at a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at hotel InterContinental in the city.

PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.

“We would like to stay in touch on this issue,” the Australian minister was quoted as saying.

She said her country wants the displaced Rohingyas to return to their own country.

Marise Payne informed the Prime Minister that Australia will enhance its contributions further to this humanitarian issue and appreciated Bangladesh for giving shelter to a large number of displaced Rohingyas.

She also appreciated the Prime Minister’s role in women empowerment and said she herself a fan of cricket like the Bangladesh Prime Minister. 

She said her country wants the Australia cricket team to visit Bangladesh as per schedule.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has given shelter to 1.1 million Rohingyas on humanitarian ground, and Bangladesh and Myanmar signed agreements over the repatriation of Rohingyas, but the deal is not being implemented due to the Myanmar authority.

Noting that Rohingya issue is a big burden for Bangladesh, she said some 100,000 babies were born by the time at Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar.

Foreign Minister Dr Abdul Momen, Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque and Australian High Commissioner in Dhaka Julia Niblett Niblett were present.

Source: unb