Bangladesh PM Hasina to discuss issues linked to Rohingyas on her India visit in September

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to visit New Delhi in early September at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. During her visit, Sheikh Hasina is expected to discuss issues pertaining to Rohingya among other prevailing topics. 

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Tuesday informed that the agenda pertaining to the repatriation of Rohingyas will be discussed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her impending visit to India. 

The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary said, “We have asked the International community to assist us to maintain a huge population of over one million. The feasible solution is the repatriation of these people back to their state. We are in talks with Myanmar authorities.”

Masud Bin Momen further added, “India is a common neighbour to both Bangladesh and Myanmar. We have requested India to play an important role as we are raising this at a different level. It is a very congested place in the coax Bazar. The main risk is that the population is very young.”

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Expected To Visit India In Early September

"The possible dates of the Prime Minister's New Delhi visit could be within the first 10 days of September," Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told reporters earlier at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here upon his arrival from New Delhi after attending the seventh round of the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission (JCC).

However, he noted that the premier's office would finalise the date while the timeline was proposed during talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar in New Delhi.

He further added that Dhaka and New Delhi have decided to implement the bilateral decisions ahead of Prime Minister Hasina’s India visit and Dhaka expected the much-awaited Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting to be held by then. Momen and Jaishankar co-chaired the 7th round of JCC in New Delhi on June 19.

Commenting on the JCC meeting, Momen said Dhaka had raised all outstanding issues with New Delhi including water sharing and border killing.

"We had a very good meeting," he said, adding that the Indian side showed a "good response" to water management of transboundary streams between the two countries.

The foreign minister said they also discussed the issue of bringing back fugitive Bangladeshi businessman and former NRB Global Bank Managing Director Proshanta Kumar Halder alias PK Halder.

"New Delhi assured us to hand over Halder to Bangladesh authority after some legal procedures in India," he said.