Myanmar should take back Rohingyas: PM

Describing Rohingyas as a big burden for Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said Myanmar should take back their citizens.

She said this when two separate delegations of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) paid a joint courtesy call on her at the official residence Ganabhaban here.

“We have given shelter to the Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds as we had experienced the same thing during the Liberation War when an estimated 10 million Bangladeshis took shelter in India as refugees,” the Prime minister said.

PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.

“Now the Rohingyas have emerged as a big burden for us and the local people have to face immense sufferings for them,” the premier was quoted as saying.

The premier extended sincere thanks to the local people for accepting the sufferings on humanitarian grounds.

Two separate delegations of the visiting UK Conservative Friends of Bangladesh (CFoB) and the delegation of UK APPG on Population, Development and Reproductive Health paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister.

The UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Chair Anne Main led the delegations.

The UK APPG delegation handed over a written report to the premier on their visit of the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar.

The delegations appreciated the Prime Minister for her humanitarian gesture with giving shelters to the forcibly displaced Rohingyas and reiterated to continue their supports over the Rohingya issues.

Referring to their visit to Bangladesh two years back, the delegation said that the condition of the Rohingya camps have improved in comparison to that time.

Regarding Bangladesh-UK relations, the Prime Minister said Britain has continuously been giving assistance for the development of Bangladesh.

Source: BSS.

Dhaka/Saif/Nasim