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Bangladesh wants US to appoint special envoy on Rohingya


Published : 24 Feb 2021 09:59 PM | Updated : 25 Feb 2021 01:00 AM

Bangladesh wants the United States to appoint a ‘special envoy’ on Rohingya to take leadership role in resolving the crisis.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen during the meeting with his counterpart Antony Blinken in Washington on Tuesday expressed his “thanks and gratitude” to 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 the international community together to put enough political pressure on Myanmar to create conditions for sustainable return of the Rohingyas, the foreign ministry said.

“Dr. Momen further recommended that the US may appoint a Special Envoy on Rohingya, in order to press Myanmar to create a conducive environment for the repatriation of the displaced Rohingyas to Myanmar.”

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

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

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