Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Baku visit was tremendously successful with a number of achievements highlighted in the global arena. She returned home from Azerbaijani capital of Baku on Sunday, after going through a whirlwind diplomacy meeting about half a dozen of head of states on the side-lines of the 18th NAM Summit.
The premier successfully highlighted the crucial issue of Rohingya influx in Bangladesh to the world leaders during a series of meetings. On the side-lines of the Summit, the prime minister met a number of NAM leaders including Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Algerian Acting President Abdelkader Bensalah, and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Malki.
The two-day summit of NAM, a forum of 120 developing countries, was held at Baku Congress Centre in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku on October 25-26. Here are some glimpses of the premier’s achievements during the Baku visit. Tehran to put pressure on Myanmar During a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday afternoon, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani assured that Tehran would continue work for creating international pressure on Myanmar for the solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis.
“We’ll continue work whatever is necessary for mounting international pressure on Myanmar for a solution to the Rohingya crisis and bringing back their nationals from Bangladesh,” he said. Rouhani extended his sincere thanks to the prime minister for giving shelter to over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Bangladesh.
He said Iran would continue support to the forcibly displaced Myanmar people. In response, Hasina thanked the Iranian president for their commitment on the Rohingya issue.
Mahathir stresses trial of genocide perpetrators During a meeting with Hasina on the same day, Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad demanded trial of senior Myanmar army Generals for involvement in Rohingya genocide. The globally renowned Malaysian premier said, “Malaysia and other ASEAN nations will continue to do whatever is necessary to bring the perpetrators of the genocide to book as well as to ensure safe and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas to their motherland in Rakhain state of Myanmar.”
“I think that genocide was committed on the Rohingyas in Myanmar and its trial should be held,” said Mahathir. The Malaysian prime minister said he and other ASEAN members would continue to do whatever is necessary for solution to the Rohingya problem. Dr Mahathir told the Bangladesh prime minister that Malaysia would continue operation of its hospital in Cox’s Bazar.
The Malaysian prime minister said his government would continue work to recruit more Bangladeshi workers. He also talked about safety and security of the Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia. Terming Malaysia’s ties with Bangladesh as very deep, Dr Mahathir assured that the Malaysian investment in Bangladesh would boost further.
Dhaka, Baku sign deal on cultural assistance Bangladesh on Saturday signed an agreement on cultural assistance with Azerbaijan to boost cultural ties between the two countries. The deal was signed after a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev at the Presidential Palace in Baku.
Bangladesh State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid and Azerbaijan Cultural and Tourism Minister Dr Abulfas Garayev inked the deal on behalf of their respective sides. Bangladesh and Azerbaijan also agreed to strengthen their bilateral relations in the years to come for mutual benefits. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the historical and cultural ties between Bangladesh and Azerbaijan.
The Prime Minister recalled with profound respect the support of Azerbaijan as part of the then Soviet Union to Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971. The Azerbaijan President remembered Bangladesh's support to his country as a new state in 1992. The Prime Minister thanked Azerbaijan for extending its moral and physical support to Bangladesh over the Rohingya issue.
The Azerbaijan President highly appreciated Bangladesh’s success in different sectors under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and got astonished at how the government is ensuring food for the huge population. Sheikh Hasina invited Ilham Aliyev to visit Bangladesh which he cordially accepted. She mentioned the opening of an office of Bangladesh in Azerbaijan in future.
PM stresses making BBIN initiatives operational On Saturday morning, during a meeting with Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli, Prime minister Sheikh Hasina said three countries — Bangladesh, India and Nepal — can initially make the BBIN Motor Vehicles agreement operational, if Bhutan needs more time. About implementation of the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement, Sheikh Hasina said if Bhutan has problems now over making it operational, then the other three countries can start it among them, the foreign secretary said.
Hasina said Bangladesh has already raised the issue with the Indian side and requested Nepal to raise it with India, too. ‘We can make this operational,’ she was quoted as saying. Mentionable, during Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to New Delhi, she and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi agreed to ‘early operationalisation’ of the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement for movement of goods and passengers between the member countries who are willing and ready; or to work towards a bilateral India-Bangladesh Motor Vehicles Agreement, as appropriate.
The Bangladesh prime minister also urged her Nepalese counterpart to finalise the Preferential Trade Agreement with his country during the upcoming visit of the Bangladesh President to Nepal. ‘It remains pending for long. If it can be done, it would be very much helpful for the two countries to enhance their trade and business,’ she said.
President Abdul Hamid will visit Nepal on November 11-14 next. KP Sharma Oli put emphasis on the peace and stability of this region saying that peace and stability has to be maintained in South Asia by the countries of this region. The Nepalese prime minister hoped that the Bangladeshi Prime Minister will continue showing her goodwill to maintain stability in this region. ‘Otherwise, business, trade and connectivity would not be worked here,’ he said.
Hebron road to be named after Bangabandhu
Palestine has decided to name a road in Hebron after Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Malki said this to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the bilateral booth of Baku Congress Center on the side-lines of the 18th NAM Summit here today. He also invited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to formally unveil the name plaque of the road. Palestinian foreign minister requested the prime minister to boost the trade and commerce between the two countries. He also thanked the Bangladesh premier for raising the issue of Palestine strongly in various international forums.
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