US should appoint special envoy on Rohingya: Bangladesh FM to Blinken

AK Abdul Momen has suggested that the US appoint a special envoy on Rohingya to press Myanmar to create a conducive environment for the repatriation of the refugees from Bangladesh.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 Feb 2021, 04:07 PM
Updated : 24 Feb 2021, 04:07 PM

The foreign minister made the recommendation during a phone conversation with Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, in Washington on Tuesday, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

Momen thanked the US government for its humanitarian and political support to Bangladesh to cope with the Rohingya exodus.

He emphasised that the US should take the lead and bring international community together to put enough political pressure on Myanmar to create condition for sustainable return of the Rohingya.

He also thanked the US government for imposing sanctions on some Myanmar individuals. He encouraged the US government to take more stringent measures like imposing economic sanction and withdrawing GSP facilities of Myanmar.

Secretary Blinken appreciated Bangladesh for sheltering over one million Rohingya refugees and showed his government’s full understanding of the tremendous pressure the crisis has created on the government and the people of Bangladesh.

Expressing concern on the disruption in the democratic process in Myanmar, Blinken assured that the US would continue its support for Bangladesh on Rohingya issue.

Ned Price, spokesperson for the US Department of State, said in a statement that Momen and Blinken discussed Myanmar, a durable solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis, and the importance of respect for labour and human rights.

Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Momen discussed ways to deepen economic, counterterrorism, and defence cooperation, and work together to address common challenges such as climate change.

Blinken congratulated Momen on Bangladesh’s 50th anniversary of independence in 2021, and both leaders expressed the desire for closer collaboration to address challenges in South Asia and the greater Indo-Pacific region.

At the beginning of the discussion, the US secretary of state regretted that he could not physically meet Momen due to the COVID-19 health restrictions.

The foreign minister briefed his US counterpart on the government’s handling of the pandemic, including the ongoing the vaccination programme.

Noting that the US donated high-quality ventilators and Bangladesh supplied 6.5 million PPE to the US in the initial phase of the pandemic, Momen said Bangladesh was ready to supply medical instruments, like syringes.

Blinken appreciated Bangladesh’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic situation and hoped that both the countries would be able to find newer avenues for collaboration in the post COVID-19 era through support and cooperation.

Momen welcomed the decision of the US to return to the Paris Climate Agreement.

Recalling his recent discussion with US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry, he also hoped that the new US administration of President Joe Biden would be more actively engaged with climate vulnerable countries, including Bangladesh.

He hoped that the two sides would be able to work closely on climate change before and during the upcoming COP26.

The foreign minister also requested the US Secretary of State to consider providing assistance in water management.

The foreign minister underscored the need for early deportation of Rashed Chowdhury, the convict in the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, “in the spirit of the shared values of establishing good governance, rule of law and justice”, the ministry said.

He said while his government was working with the US Department of Justice on this issue, support from the state department will be “greatly appreciated”.