Bangladesh urges France to mount pressure on Myanmar for Rohingya return

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought French President Emanuel Macron’s help to ratchet up international pressure on Myanmar to repatriate Rohingya refugees.

During the official talks between the two leaders on Tuesday, Macron was briefed in detail by Hasina over the crisis.

The prime minister was received by Macron at the Elysee Palace in the morning, when she arrived for the bilateral talks.

She was given a guard of honour. Following the talks, Macron walked Hasina to her car.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque briefed the media after the meeting.

Apart from the refugee crisis, the leaders also discussed trade, climate change, and terrorism, he said.

“The French president wanted to know in detail about the Rohingya crisis and what the Bangladesh government is doing. He also asked what Bangladesh expects from his country.

“There are over a million Rohingyas in Bangladesh, the prime minister told Macron adding that it is a huge burden and also adversely impacting the environment.”

Bangladesh has been home to over 400,000 Rohingyas over the last few decades before the military crackdown in late August, which triggered an exodus of over 600,000 more in just three months.

Hasina told Macron that the solution to the crisis lies in the five-point proposal, which she had presented at the UN General Assembly this year, according to the foreign secretary.

“Referring to the bilateral arrangement with Myanmar, Hasina said Bangladesh wants the international community to continue mounting pressure. Otherwise, the deal cannot be implemented."

Photo: PID

The prime minister arrived at the French capital on Monday to join the One Planet Summit, where world leaders will discuss ways to accelerate efforts to fight climate change.

Two years to the day after the historic Paris Agreement was concluded, the summit at the Elysee Palace on Tuesday brought together local, regional and national leaders, as well as those working in public and private finance to chalk out ways to boost support global efforts to fight climate change.

Hasina thanked Macron for organising the meet during the bilateral talks, according to Foreign Secretary Haque. “The summit comes on the backdrop of the US withdrawal from the 2015 accord.”

On the issue of terrorism, Hasina made Bangladesh’s stance clear to the French leader. She said her administration maintains a zero-tolerance policy, he added.

President Macron told the prime minister that his country is interested in investing in Bangladesh and sought her suggestion on investment avenues, said Haque.

Hasina said energy, pharmaceuticals and ICT are some of the potentials sectors. She also said Bangladesh has built special economic zones for foreign investors.

Macron also floated the idea of forming a joint economic commission between the countries, said the foreign secretary.