Staff Reporter
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir yesterday called for stronger international efforts to ensure the early, safe, voluntary and dignified return of Rohingyas to Myanmar.
In this connection, he warned that the prolonged crisis could have wider security implications and fuel irregular migration.
He made the remarks when a visiting delegation led by Apsana Begum MP, chair of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Bangladesh, paid a courtesy call on him at the Ministry of Foreign Af-fairs yesterday, said a ministry press release.
The delegation also included Shockat Adam MP and Lord Qurban Hussain, a member of the House of Lords.
Kobir said the protracted Rohingya crisis had evolved beyond a humanitarian concern, carrying wider implications for security and irregular migration.
The delegation, scheduled to visit the Rohingya camps, affirmed its support for addressing the plight of the displaced community.
Its members pledged to continue raising their voices in the UK Parliament and international forums to sustain humanitarian assistance and support the Rohingyas sustainable repatriation to their homeland.
Welcoming the delegation, Kobir appreciated the APPG s continued interest in strengthening Bangla-desh-UK relations and highlighted the UK government s support for Bangladesh s democratic consolida-tion and reform initiatives.
He recognized the APPG s role as a bridge between the UK Parliament, Bangladesh and the British-Bangladeshi community.
The state minister sought the group s support in facilitating greater engagement with the UK Parliament to convey Bangladesh s progress and realities on the ground.
The discussions covered parliamentary cooperation and exchanges, democratic consolidation, trade and investment, migration, skills mobilization and human rights.
The two sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues and expressed interest in continuing cooperation through relevant bilateral and multilateral channels.
