Shelter for Rohingyas only on humanitarian grounds: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Bangladesh offered refuge to Myanmar's fleeing Rohingya nationals' completely on humanitarian grounds though it appeared a "big burden for us".

"International community must take the responsibility," she said when visiting Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called on her at her Ganabhaban residence here yesterday evening.

PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS that the premier informed the Turkish First Lady about Bangladesh government's humanitarian activities for the refugees. 

Sheikh Hasina said her government took initiatives for identification of the refugees as it wants to ensure that no terrorist under the guise of refugee could enter Bangladesh. 

The press secretary said Sheikh Hasina also reiterated her government's steadfast stance against all sorts of terrorism saying "we will not allow our land to use by any insurgent or terrorist activities against any country". 

"Terrorists have no religion and territorial identity," the prime minister added.

Emine Erdogan appreciated Bangladesh for its humanitarian gesture to the Myanmar refugees wand informed the premier of Istanbul's initiatives in mobilizing global opinion on the issue.

"Turkey is trying to build up a global opinion against the persecution as the whole world has the responsibility to resolve the crisis," she said. 

She said Turkey would raise the issue in the 13th OIC Summit being held in Kazakhstan.

The Turkish First Lady said her country can understand the problems of giving shelter to huge number of refugees out of its experience of giving refuge to three million people after Syrian crisis. 

Emine Erdogan shared her experience of visiting refugees at Rohingya camp in Kutupalang of Cox's Bazar's Ukhia upazila yesterday afternoon saying the refugees need urgent medicare services.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina praised the Turkish government's successful handling the coup attempt against the elected government with the support of the people saying "peoples' power is supreme".

In this regard, Sheikh Hasina pointed out killing of Bangabandhu by some disgruntled army officer saying after the heinous incident Bangladesh had to witness 19 coup attempts. 

Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, PM's Advisor Dr Gowher Rizvi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, Turkish Ambassador in Dhaka Devrim Ozturk and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury were present.

Source: bss