Canadian minister begins 3-day virtual visit to Bangladesh

Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould has started her three-day virtual visit to Bangladesh on Tuesday evening.

Minister Gould will have the chance to meet with government officials and key partners to discuss Canada-Bangladesh cooperation,

and the Rohingya response, a Canadian high commission’s statement said here.

She will have the chance to see firsthand how Canada’s development projects are being delivered, meet with affected populations, and hold bilateral discussions, it said.

The high commission said with the upcoming 4th anniversary of the Rohingya crisis later this month, it is an important opportunity to recognize the people and the government of Bangladesh for continuing to generously host 889,000 Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar district.

“No one wants to be a refugee or to be forced to leave their home,” it said, adding that while the situation in their home country ofMyanmar is not encouraging, Canada shares the Bangladesh’s objective of Rohingya’s safe, dignified, and voluntary repatriation.

The high commission said Canada remains committed to supporting both the Rohingyas and affected Bangladeshi communities to deal with the impact of the crisis.