Canada stands by Bangladesh on Rohingya issue

Visiting Canadian Minister of International Development Marie-Claude yesterday said that her country would continue to extend political and humanitarian support to Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue as she paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"We will continue to extend political and humanitarian support to Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue," premier's press secretary Ihsanul Karim quoted the Canadian minister as saying while briefing reporters after the meeting held at the PM's Jatiya Sangsad office yesterday evening.

When the Canadian minister wanted to know about the progress on the talks between Bangladesh and Myanmar on the issue, the prime minister said: "Our foreign minister is now in Myanmar and discussion is going on."

Marie-Claude said she visited a number of Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar today and shared her experience with the prime minister in this regard.

She mentioned that the children and women are worst sufferers of the Rohingya exodus into Bangladesh.

The Canadian minister highly appreciated the Bangladesh government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for giving shelter to tens of thousands of Rohingya people in Bangladesh.

The prime minister said Bangladesh gave shelter to the Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds and they will be shifted to an island from Cox's Bazar.

Sheikh Hasina said when they enter Bangladesh, they are given identity cards after registration. "Till today, 6,25,115 Rohingya people were registered," she said.

The press secretary said the issue of extradition of Noor Chowdhury, a fugitive convicted killer of Bangabandhu who is now staying in Canada, came up for discussion.

PM's International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam, PM's Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and Bangladesh High Commissioner to Canada Kamrul Ahsan and Canadian High Commissioner in Dhaka Benoit Prefontaine were present on the occasion.

Source: bss