Kamal seeks Turkish assistance for repatriation of Rohingya

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal immediately requested Turkish help for the repatriation of Rohingya from Bangladesh to the homeland of their Myanmar as he gave a courtesy call to Ankara's Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Mustafa Sentop. 

At last week's meeting, Kamal said that while Bangladesh has welcomed them for some time on humanitarian ground, Bangladesh is now paying high costs to shelter Rohingyas in the midst of oppressed people in Burma's Rakhaine Region. 

He said the whole atmosphere in the places where the Rohingyas now live in Cox's Bazar is on the verge of natural disaster, even rising the problems of social and climate change. 

Even in financial terms, he said, it is very difficult for Bangladesh to estimate the losses and damage of resources. 

"The Rohingyas should be repatriated to their homeland, and this is our most important need," he said.

The minister said Bangladesh is sheltering more than one million Rohingyas in such a densely populated small country that is rising enormous pressure on the region. 

Welcoming Turkey's optimistic notion of investing in the electronics pharmaceuticals and energy sectors of Bangladesh, Kamal urged Turkish investors to invest in the special economic zones of Bangladesh. 

In this regard, he said that if Turkey needs land to invest in the special economic zones, the Bangladesh government will offer all appropriate cooperation. 

Highlighting Bangladesh's socio-economic performance in different sectors, Kamal said that in the current fiscal year, the country is likely to achieve a GDP growth rate of 8.25 to 8.30 percent based on the achievements of achieving 8.13 percent growth in the last fiscal year. 

He also hoped that in 2024, the rate of GDP growth would reach the double digit.

Turkish speaker Mustafa Sentop said that there are parallels between Bangladesh and Turkey in many ways, including religion and culture, although the gap between the two countries is large. 

Terming the persecution of the Rohingyas in Myanmar as a ' heinous ' act, Sentop said that in addressing this issue, Turkey will remain next to Bangladesh, said an official release today. 

According to the Finance Minister, both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheik Hasina will win the Nobel Peace Prize for sheltering refugees and Rohingyas in their respective countries, and the global community should also consent on this. 

He also extended an invitation to Sentop to visit Bangladesh while the invite was warmly welcomed by the Turkish host.