Dhaka, Sep 07 (V7N)- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held a meeting with Yohei Sasakawa, Special Envoy of the Japanese Government for National Reconciliation in Myanmar and Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, on Monday.
The meeting was held at the Prime Minister's Office at the Secretariat.
During the meeting, Sasakawa said he has been working for nearly five decades to promote peace and eliminate discrimination in different parts of the world. He briefed the Prime Minister on his role as Japan's special envoy for national reconciliation in Myanmar.
He said the Rohingya crisis has placed significant pressure on Bangladesh and that he is aware of the country's difficulties. He also highlighted Japan's grants and humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya.
Sasakawa said he had discussed the Rohingya issue with Myanmar's leadership and believes the Myanmar government is sincere about resolving the crisis. However, he noted that the complicated situation in Rakhine State is slowing progress on Rohingya repatriation.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman described the Rohingya crisis as one of Bangladesh's biggest challenges and thanked Japan for its continued support.
He said Bangladesh is already a densely populated country, while hosting a large number of Rohingyas for an extended period has placed additional pressure on the country's economy, infrastructure and overall management.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh is ready to provide all necessary cooperation to facilitate the safe return of the Rohingyas to their homeland. He said repatriation would create opportunities for the Rohingya people to improve their lives, particularly in education and healthcare.
He also said Bangladesh is prepared to cooperate in the rehabilitation of Rohingyas in Myanmar after their return.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman also sought the Special Envoy's cooperation in establishing a vaccine production center in Bangladesh.
Sasakawa assured the Prime Minister that he would work sincerely on the matter.
END/SMA/AJ
