Bangladesh faces ‘considerable challenges’ in hosting Rohingyas

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today said Bangladesh is facing “considerable challenges” in accommodating the Rohingya community and stressed the importance of facilitating sustainable repatriations of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas.

The issue was discussed during a courtesy meeting between Touhid and visiting Minister of International Development of Canada Ahmed Hussen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Canadian Minister commended Bangladesh’s significant humanitarian contributions and expressed Canada’s commitment to advocating for the repatriation of Rohingyas in international forums.

The foreign adviser thanked the government of Canada for its ongoing support regarding the Rohingya issue.

He also urged the government of Canada to explore the possibility of collaboration at the upcoming international conference on the Rohingya issue, scheduled for the middle of this year.

The discussions focused on strengthening the strong partnership and cooperation between the two friendly countries across various domains, including trade, investment, capacity building, skill development, technical assistance, agriculture and people-to-people connections.

Visiting Hussen commended the ongoing reform initiatives and reiterated Canada’s steadfast support for the government of Bangladesh under the leadership of Prof Muhammad Yunus.

Acknowledging the commendable contributions made by the Bangladeshi community in Canada, Minister Hussen expressed a strong desire to enhance collaborative ties between the two countries.

Highlighting the existing strong relations between the two countries, the foreign adviser expressed gratitude to the government of Canada for its continued support of economic and development initiatives.

The two ministers held thorough discussions on several significant areas of shared interest, including trade and investment prospects, labour reforms, advancements in the financial sector, collaboration in the health sector and humanitarian support for the forcibly displaced Rohingya population.

Both ministers agreed to finalise the Foreign Investment and Protection Act in order to create a conducive environment and encourage Canadian investors to explore trade and investment opportunities in the near future.

The meeting concluded with a strong commitment to enhancing bilateral relations and working together on shared priorities moving forward.

High Commissioner of Canada to Bangladesh Ajit Singh was also present at the meeting, which included officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delegates from the government of Canada, and representatives from the High Commission of Canada in Dhaka.