PM Meets Guterres in Doha, Discusses Ukraine, Rohingyas

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday asked United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to take a special initiative to stop the Russia-Ukraine war soon.

She made the call at a meeting with António Guterres at the bilateral meeting Room of Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, reports UNB.

The premier said the world’s people are suffering due to the war, particularly economic sanctions, as the disturbance in the international commodity supply raised inflation.

“She has asked the UN Secretary-General to take a special initiative for stopping the war soon,” said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen while briefing reporters after the meeting.

Sheikh Hasina said it will be good for all if the war can be stopped as soon as possible.

“Those who make much profit because of the war should help the affected countries,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said her government is providing some 10 million people with food at subsidised prices in Bangladesh.

She praised the UN Secretary-General for his ‘Black Sea Grain Initiative’ (the Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports) and his initiatives taken during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Regarding the Rohingya issue, both the prime minister and the UN Secretary-General agreed that the displaced Rohingya people should return to their homeland soon, not waiting for the political changeover in Myanmar.

Noting that the time of political change in Myanmar is an uncertain matter, Sheikh Hasina asked António Guterres to take a special initiative for the repatriation of the Rohingya people.

She also sought assistance from the United Nations and the international community to relocate more Rohingya people to Bhashan Char Island from camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Housing for one lakh people was built in Bhasan Char with the own fund of Bangladesh and only 30,000 people have so far been moved there.

The prime minister said Bangladesh prepared accommodation for Rohingyas with its own funds and still there is huge land in Bhashan Char to create housing for the displaced Myanmar nationals there.

“If you help us, we can shift many more people to the place (Bhashan Char),” she was quoted.

In this context, the UN Secretary-General said the Bangladesh prime minister can take an initiative in this regard.

Turning to extremism, he said fanaticism is being carried out in the name of religion in different places.

In this regard, the prime minister said those who are fanatics have no religion and no boundary. So, all should work together to fight fanaticism, she said.

About the climate issue, she said focus should be given on the disbursement of the committed climate fund.

During the meeting, António Guterres highly appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her unprecedented successes in development, diplomacy and in tackling the Covid pandemic. It (the achievement) is very encouraging, he said

He said the UN Secretary General said they are proud of a leadership like Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who very successfully tackled the Covid situation and advanced Bangladesh even facing the crisis due to the Ukraine war.

Later, the Bangladesh premier sat in a separate meeting with President of the UNGA-Csaba Korosi at Qatar National Convention Center.

In the meeting, Sheikh Hasina proposed to form an international forum with foreign development ministers of the South-South countries to find the problems and potentials and then cooperate among the southern countries in this regard as the developed nations do not help as per their commitments.

In this regard, she sought cooperation of the UNGA in holding a daylong international conference on this issue.

In response, the UNGA President opined that the initiative should be taken before July next as they would be engaged in the pre-activities of the next general assembly session from July-September.

During the meeting, the UNGA President also highly lauded the economic progress of Bangladesh under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, saying it is a miracle and the economic progress of Bangladesh is very good even amid the tough time in the world.

Other issues like water management and climate change came up for discussion.

Foreign (Sr) Secretary Masud Bin Momen was present at the press briefing.