Bangladesh finance minister seeks UN support for permanent solution to Rohingya crisis

Bangladesh Finance Minister AMA Muhith requested United Nations cooperation for the creation of a "safe zone" for the Rohingya people in Myanmar at a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday. The finance minister made the call during talks held at the UN headquarters in New York in line with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s proposal for a “quick and permanent solution” to the Rohingya crisis, according to a press release of Bangladesh’s permanent mission to the United Nations. Muhith also invited Guterres - a former Portuguese prime minister and UN High Commissioner for Refugees - to visit Bangladesh “as soon as possible”. During the meeting, the UN chief stated his appreciation to Bangladesh for sheltering the Rohingya and thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her government and the people of Bangladesh for the humanitarian effort. “I have been observing the Rohingya issue closely and I told the finance minister that I am highly impressed with the humanitarian assistance Bangladesh has been extending for a long time despite being an overpopulated country,” Guterres said. The secretary general gave Muhith assurances that the UN will extend the highest cooperation from the UN in this regard, saying: “The UN is doing all what is necessary for a solution to the problem.” Separately, Guterres also told Muhith that the UN will continue to play a role in helping Bangladesh and other countries to face the adverse impacts of climate change. Muhith described the UN reform programmes as a timely initiative and requested the UN secretary general to take steps so that the reforms can help least developed countries (LDCs) achieve progress. The finance minister said he expected the UN to play its highest role to ensure financial and other assistance for countries including Bangladesh which are on the way to graduating to the next step from the LDCs. Making a short focus on the Bangladesh’s development trend, Muhith said Bangladesh had been working to formulate and implement a plan before a formal declaration that Bangladesh has taken a step ahead in facing the challenges of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “In the world, Bangladesh has set up an example in eliminating poverty through implementing different programmes under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Muhith said. Also present at Monday’s meeting in New York were Bangladesh’s permanent representative to the UN and ambassador Masud Bin Momen, Economic Relations Division secretary Kazi Shafiul Azam, Planning Commission member Shamsul Alam, and economic minister of Bangladesh mission Iqbal Abdullah Harun. Muhith also met separately with UNDP administrator Achim Steiner and Fekitamoeloa Katoa, who is the UN Under Secretary General and chief of the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS). Antonio Guterres also mentioned his talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the recently concluded 72nd session of the UN General Assembly.