Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that Myanmar talks about repatriation of the displaced Rohingyas, but it is yet to takeany concrete measures.
Her remarks came on Sunday at a press conference held at Ganabhaban to brief the media about the outcome of her recent visit to Nepal to attend the 4th Bimstec Summit.
On the side-linesduring the summit, Hasina said she had talks with Myanmar President U Win Myint over Rohingya issue and the repatriation agreement signed between the two countries.
She said Myint told her that they were ready to take back those who wanted to return to Myanmar.
She added that Bangladesh had been holding talks with Myanmar over and over again over the repatriation agreement.“Whenever we hold meeting with them, they do not disagree on anything with us. They assure us, but they do not take them (Rohingyas) back.”
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In response to a question about a book published by the Myanmar army where false pictures have been used against the Rohingyas, the prime minister said Myanmar has committed a horrible thing by carrying out such falsehood on social media.
"They've committed a terrible act. They've tarnished their own image with this and destroyed their position in the international arena," she said.
She alleged that the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami coalition had carried out the same propaganda with fake photos in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in Bangladesh. "I wonder whether they (Myanmar) learnt the tactic from our BNP-Jamaat."
Hasina also added that Bangladesh never wants a confrontational situation with the neighbouring country.
‘Bangladesh lauded at Bimstec Summit’
Talking about her Nepal visit, the prime minister said her participation in the 4th Bimstec Summit and Bangladesh's role in the meetings held just before the summit in Kathmandu were highly acclaimed by all quarters.
"In overall consideration, the Summit and other meetings were very important for Bangladesh," she said.
She said, in her speech at the summit’s opening session, she urged the leaders of the states to face poverty, adverse impact of climate change and counterterrorism and other problems in the Bimstec region with joint and coordinated efforts, reports UNB.
In the fast-changing global scenario, Hasina said, she put emphasis on reviewing and reorganizing 14 important issues of cooperation among the member countries.
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She had also called upon the member countries to work together to develop the bloc as a more dynamic and fruitful organisation through reorganising the issues of cooperatives into three main clusters –SustainableDevelopment, Security and Stability, and People to People Contact – on priority basis, she said.
Besides, she underscored the need for the formation of a Free Trade Area, enhancing investment, cooperation on the power sector and investment of capital.
The prime minister said she stressed the importance of consolidating fundamental legal frameworks to carry forward the substantive engagements in the cooperation to produce visible results.
She urged the Bimstec leaders to further strengthen the organization and make it more effective as well as stressed implementation of the 16-point Goa Declaration adopted in 2016.
About the Memorandum of Understanding signed on Bimstec power grid interconnections, Hasina said she hoped that it will create new areas of cooperation on electricity in the region.
