DHAKA, – Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has sought Turkish support for Rohingya repatriation from Bangladesh to their Myanmar’s homeland speedily as he made a courtesy call-on the Speaker of Turkish Grand National Assembly Mustafa Sentop at Ankara.
During the meeting yesterday, Kamal said Bangladesh is now paying high price for sheltering the Rohingyas in the face of persecution on them at
Rakhaine State in Myanmar although Bangladesh allowed them for some time on humanitarian ground.
He said the entire environment of the areas where the Rohingyas are now staying in Cox’s Bazar is on the brink of natural disaster, also increasing
the social and climate change challenges. Even it is very much difficult for Bangladesh to estimate the losses and damages of resources in financial terms, he said.
“The Rohingyas should have to be repatriated to their homeland and this is our main urge,” he added. The minister said Bangladesh is sheltering over one million of Rohingyas in such a densely populated small country which is mounting huge pressure on the country.
Welcoming the positive notion of Turkey towards investing in Bangladesh’s electronics, pharmaceuticals and energy sectors, Kamal urged the Turkish
investors to invest in Bangladesh’s special economic zones.
In this regard, he said the government of Bangladesh would extend all necessary cooperation if Turkey wants land for investing in the special
economic zones.
Highlighting the socio-economic performances of Bangladesh in different sectors, Kamal said the country is likely to attain a GDP growth rate of 8.25
to 8.30 percent in the current fiscal year based on the successes of attaining 8.13 percent growth in the last fiscal year.
He also hoped that the GDP growth rate would reach the double digit in 2024. Turkish speaker Mustafa Sentop said Bangladesh and Turkey have similarities in many areas including in religion and culture although the distance between the two countries is huge.
Terming the persecution over the Rohingyas in Myanmar as a ‘heinous’ act, Sentop said Turkey would remain beside Bangladesh in resolving this problem, an official release said today.
The finance minister also opined that both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should get the Nobel Peace Prize for sheltering refugees and Rohingyas in their respective countries and the global community should also agree in this regard.
He also extended an invitation to Sentop to visit Bangladesh while the Turkish speaker accepted the invitation warmly.
