Rohingya Repatriation: Dhaka asks Islamabad to join int'l effort

Dhaka has asked Islamabad to join the international community to impress upon Myanmar to ensure a speedy repatriation of all their forcibly displaced nationals back to their homes in Myanmar.

The call was made when the Bangladesh High Commissioner in Islamabad Tarik Ahsan paid a courtesy call on new Prime Minister of Pakistan Shaid Khaqan Abbasi in Islamabad on Tuesday.

The Pakistan prime minister lauded the role played by Bangladesh in the face of the challenges posed by the influx of more than half a million additional forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Abbasi viewed that Myanmar should shoulder its responsibilities for protection of all its nationals, particularly the minorities, said a press release of Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad.

The Bangladesh envoy thanked the Pakistan prime minister for expression of solidarity with Bangladesh in tackling the humanitarian crisis.

Welcoming the high commissioner, Abbasi recalled the visit of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to Lahore in 1974 for taking part in the second OIC Summit, immediately after the beginning of Bangladesh-Pakistan diplomatic relations.

In an apparent reference to the strained relations between the two countries, Abbasi called for strengthening the bilateral relations by "removing all misgivings through dialogue."

The Pakistan PM stressed the need for resuming foreign secretary level consultations and attached particular importance to further enhancing trade and economic relations as well as promoting people-to-people contact between the two countries.

As regards foreign-secretary level consultations, the Bangladesh high commissioner indicated that Bangladesh is open to hold the consultations at any mutually convenient time in Dhaka.