Clicky
National, Front Page

BD seeks support from Turkey, Japan


Published : 20 Nov 2019 09:40 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 02:40 AM

As part of the diplomatic efforts for a sustainable Rohingya repatriation, Bangladesh sought support from Turkey and Japan. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal sought Turkish support for repatriation of the minority Muslim community of Myanmar while making a courtesy call on the Speaker of Turkish Grand National Assembly Mustafa Sentop at Ankara on Tuesday.

On the same day, Bangladesh also sought Japan’s support for early repatriation of the forcefully displaced Myanmar nationals when the newly-appointed Japanese Ambassador to Dhaka Naoki Ito met State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam at the latter's office. During the meeting with Turkish national assembly speaker, Kamal said Bangladesh is now paying high price for sheltering the Rohingyas in the face of persecution on them at Rakhaine State in Myanmar although Bangladesh allowed them for some time on humanitarian ground.

He said the entire environment of the areas where the Rohingyas are now staying in Cox’s Bazar is on the brink of natural disaster, also increasing the social and climate change challenges. Even it is very much difficult for Bangladesh to estimate the losses and damages of resources in financial terms, he said.

“The Rohingyas should have to be repatriated to their homeland and this is our main urge,” he added. The minister said Bangladesh is sheltering over one million of Rohingyas in such a densely populated small country which is mounting huge pressure on the country. Welcoming the positive notion of Turkey towards investing in Bangladesh’s electronics, pharmaceuticals and energy sectors, Kamal urged the Turkish investors to invest in Bangladesh’s special economic zones.

In this regard, he said the government of Bangladesh would extend all necessary cooperation if Turkey wants land for investing in the special economic zones. Highlighting the socio-economic performances of Bangladesh in different sectors, Kamal said the country is likely to attain a GDP growth rate of 8.25 to 8.30 percent in the current fiscal year based on the successes of attaining 8.13 percent growth in the last fiscal year.

He also hoped that the GDP growth rate would reach the double digit in 2024. Turkish speaker Mustafa Sentop said Bangladesh and Turkey have similarities in many areas including in religion and culture although the distance between the two countries is huge. Terming the persecution over the Rohingyas in Myanmar as a ‘heinous’ act, Sentop said Turkey would remain beside Bangladesh in resolving this problem, an official release said on Wednesday.

The finance minister also opined that both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should get the Nobel Peace Prize for sheltering refugees and Rohingyas in their respective countries and the global community should also agree in this regard.

He also extended an invitation to Sentop to visit Bangladesh while the Turkish speaker accepted the invitation warmly. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has said the recently signed Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on recruiting ‘Specified Skilled Workers’ will help Japan receive more skilled workforce from Bangladesh benefiting both the countries.

Bangladesh also sought Japan’s support for early repatriation of the forcefully displaced Myanmar nationals. The issues were discussed when newly-appointed Japanese Ambassador Naoki Ito met State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam at the latter's office on Tuesday.

Both expressed confidence that the regular holding of the Public Private Economic Dialogue (PPED) between the two countries will deepen economic cooperation and attract increased investment from Japan, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here on Wednesday. This was the first courtesy meeting of the Ambassador after presenting credentials to President Abdul Hamid.

During the meeting, they also discussed all major issues. The State Minister thanked the Ambassador for concluding the MoC on recruiting ‘Specified Skilled Workers.'