PM hopes to resolve Rohingya issues bilaterally

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today reiterated her call to Myanmar authorities to take back its nationals from Bangladesh and hoped that the two countries would be able to resolve the problem through bilateral discussions.

"We will solve the problem bilaterally," she said when the national security advisor of Myanmar U Thaung Tun called on the PM at her office here.

PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the call on.

The prime minister said it was natural to have problems between two neighbouring countries. But we are able to resolve the problem through bilateral discussions," she said pointing out the end to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) problem.

Sheikh Hasina said about 30,000 registered Myanmar Rohingyas are living in Bangladesh. But the actual number is more than 400,000 and their sufferings would worsen during the monsoon season," she said.

Bangladesh is ready to extend all cooperation for repatriation of the Rohingyas, she said.

The press secretary said the prime minister drew attention of the Myanmar national security adviser to the issue on drug smuggling particularly Yaba to Bangladesh from Myanmar.

In reply, the Myanmar security adviser assured the prime minister of all sort of cooperation for eradicating drug smuggling.

The prime minister reiterated her government's zero tolerance policy against terrorism saying Bangladesh would never allow any armed groups and insurgents to use its land against any neighbouring country.

Describing numerous development activities of the government, Sheikh Hasina said that the main focus of the government was to develop the rural areas.

She also briefly narrated various disaster management programmes of Bangladesh including construction of cyclone centers in different areas of the country. U Thaung showed his country's interest for replication of the cyclone centers in his country.

National security adviser of Myanmar U Thaung Tun said that the current focus of his country was to restore internal peace side by side expediting development.

He said national verification system is going on to control the insurgency problem. Yangon wanted peace and development both in Myanmar and Bangladesh as his country is keen to maintain good relations with its neighbours, Thaung Tun said.



Talking about the military to military contacts, he said that both the countries are sharing information on security issues. He emphasized the enhancing of economic cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.

Regarding gas sell from Myanmar to Bangladesh, U Thaung Tun said that both countries could discuss on the issue.

Praising the tremendous development of Bangladesh in the recent years, the Myanmar security advisor, who arrived in Bangladesh for the second time, said Bangladesh and the development is very much visible to him.

Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and PMO Secretary Suriya Begum were present, among others, during the call on.