Bangladesh wants to resolve Rohingya crisis thru’ discussion: PM

Terming again hosting of over 1.1 million
Rohingyas as a big burden for Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has
said Dhaka wants to resolve the protracted Rohingya crisis through
discussions.

“Giving shelter to such a huge number of Rohingyas is a big burden for us
… we want to resolve the issue through discussions,” PM’s Press Secretary
Ihsanul Karim quoted the premier as saying after her (PM) meeting with Lord
Ahmad of Wimbledon in London on Monday evening (London time).

Lord Ahmad currently serves as the UK Minister of State for the
Commonwealth and the United Nations.

The press secretary told BSS over phone from London that Lord Ahmad
assured all possible support on the Rohingya issue and said that the new
British prime minister is aware of it.

While discussing the issue of combating terrorism, both the prime minister
and Lord Ahmad said that Islam is a religion of peace and does not support
terrorism.

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina said her government has created mass
awareness about fighting terrorism involving the cross section of people.

The prime minister also talked about existing communal harmony in
Bangladesh saying that people of all faiths are performing their respective
religion freely.

Sheikh Hasina informed Lord Ahmad that the government is establishing
Islamic research centres across the country to uphold the true spirit of
Islam.

The prime minister and Lord Ahmad discussed the Brexit issue.

Lord Ahmad highly praised women empowerment in Bangladesh under the
dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

In this context, the prime minister said only education can ensure women
empowerment.

Describing various initiatives of the government for ensuring women
empowerment, Sheikh Hasina said the government recruits 60 percent of
teachers at primary level from women.

Expressing satisfaction over the existing wonderful relations between
Bangladesh and the UK, they hoped that the ties will be strengthened further
in the days to come

Lord Ahmad was accompanied by his spouse Siddiqa Ahmad, while PM’s
Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman and Bangladesh High Commissioner to the
UK Saida Muna Tasneem were present at the meeting.