Bangladesh
Bangladesh-Japan Dhaka urges strong support from Tokyo to resolve Rohingya crisis
Dhaka, October 26: Dhaka sought Tokyo's strong support in resolving the Rohingya crisis by creating a conducive environment for the safe, sustainable and dignified repatriation of displaced Rohingyas from Bangladesh using Japan's relations with Myanmar. A press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the assistance was sought during a meeting beeting Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen and Japan's Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito on Sunday in the capital.
In the meeting Dr. Momen said the 1.1 million Rohingya who have taken temporary refuge in Bangladesh must return to their ancestral home in Myanmar's Rakhine state to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
In response, the ambassador referred to Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi's recent visit to Myanmar, where he called on Naypyidaw to expedite the repatriation of Rohingya, and assured that his government would continue its efforts to resolve the issue.
He said Japan had reiterated its position on repatriation at the Sustainable Aid Conference on Rohingya Refugee Response held on October 22.
The Foreign Minister appreciated Japan's continued support for Bangladesh's infrastructural and socio-economic development.
He called upon Japanese entrepreneurs to invest in two special economic zones at Araihazar (Narayanganj) and Gazipur.
Dr. Momen said Japanese businessmen could benefit from Bangladesh's high corporate profits, business-friendly policies, huge domestic markets and strategic access to key markets around the world.
The Foreign Minister termed Bangladesh as a good destination for investment and hoped to further enhance cooperation between the two friendly countries.
The Ambassador referred to the newly elected Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga's letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and expressed Japan's interest in further strengthening bilateral relations.
The two expressed satisfaction over the excellent bilateral relations that existed and agreed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2022 with a special event.
Dr. Momen thanked the Japanese government for its support in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
