Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman called on Japan’s Special Envoy for National Reconciliation in Myanmar, Yōhei Sasakawa, to play an active role in securing the safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of Rohingya refugees to their homeland during a meeting at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Monday.
“Bangladesh is already a densely populated country. Hosting a huge number of Rohingyas for a prolonged period has created additional pressure on our economy, infrastructure and overall management,” said Prime Minister Rahman.
He added that Bangladesh remains “ready to provide necessary cooperation for the rehabilitation of the Rohingyas in Myanmar after their repatriation,” noting that returning home would afford refugees vital access to healthcare and education.
Describing the situation as one of Bangladesh’s most pressing national challenges, Prime Minister Rahman noted that a successful return to Myanmar would afford the Rohingya access to vital services, education, and healthcare while easing domestic burdens.
He reaffirmed Bangladesh’s willingness to provide all necessary cooperation for post-repatriation rehabilitation efforts inside Myanmar, while expressing a broader interest in fostering constructive bilateral ties with Naypyidaw.
In response, Sasakawa—who also serves as Chairman of Japan’s Nippon Foundation—briefed the Prime Minister on his long-standing peace efforts and outlined Japan’s ongoing humanitarian grant assistance for displaced communities.
While indicating that conversations with Myanmar’s military regime suggest official sincerity toward resolving the crisis, Sasakawa cautioned that volatile security conditions and complex dynamics in neighbouring Arakan State mean that tangible progress on repatriation will require time.
He nevertheless pledged his utmost effort to help bring about a sustainable resolution.
Both sides concurred that resolving the displacement crisis requires robust international coordination and multilateral frameworks rather than exclusive reliance on bilateral channels.
Beyond humanitarian issues, Prime Minister Rahman sought Japanese technical support to establish a specialized vaccine production center in Bangladesh—a proposal Sasakawa promised to sincerely pursue.
The high-level meeting was attended by key cabinet members and advisers, including Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Finance and Planning Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister-1 for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, State Minister-2 for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Shakirul Islam Khan.
UNB
