"I have requested the countries with huge area of lands in Europe to rehabilitate the Rohingya refugees in their countries. It's a global responsibility" each big country in Europe can take couple of thousands of Rohingya refugees and rehabilitate them in their countries as it is difficult for Bangladesh to bear them alone," said Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan.

The Foreign Minister made the counter suggestion to the EU leaders during his bilateral meetings in France, Netherlands, Switzerland and at the EU headquarters in Brussels.

Morshed Khan said many Rohingyas have mingled with the Bangladeshi population while a few have entered the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar and engaged in gunrunning and drug trafficking.

"We cannot be a Golden Triangle for gunrunning and drug trafficking," he told diplomatic correspondent at his office yesterday on the outcome of his visit to three EU countries and the EU headquarters.

The European leaders suggested Rohingyas could be accommodated and rehabilitated in Bangladesh but the Bangladesh foreign minister told them that it is not possible for Bangladesh with limited lands and huge population to bear the burden of the refugees.

Apart from Rohingyas, he said, several lakhs of stranded Pakistanis have also been staying in Bangladesh since the independence.

He said most countries either deport or push in other countries citizen if they stay illegally but Bangladesh has not been forcing the Rohingyas to move back. "The Rohingyas are being repatriated voluntarily," he added.

The Foreign Minister had interactive sessions with EU parliament members in Brussels where different issues including minority community and governance in Bangladesh were raised.

On minority, Khan told them (EU leaders) Bangladeshis are democrats and tolerant. "In Bangladesh there had not been any adverse reaction to Indian state of Gujrat's riots. We are first democrats and then anything else," he added.

Replying to governance issue, he said the EU nations believe Bangladesh could achieve the double-digit growth if major political parties could shun the politics of confrontation.

On the next elections, he said he invited election observers and parliament members from Europe to monitor the elections as "our party wants to hold the elections in a crystal house so everybody could see it."

Morshed Khan said European leaders appreciated Bangladesh's fight against terror and the capture of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh masterminds.

Describing his visit as productive, the foreign minister said he has been able to remove the smokescreen over Bangladesh by projecting the correct picture of the country. "I hope Bangladesh would not be misunderstood in future by false campaigns," he added.

He said the Netherlands offered technical assistance to effective water management in Bangladesh while Switzerland wanted to extend cooperation in tackling the adverse arsenic effects.