US agrees to help Dhaka resolve Rohingya repatriation

The United States of  America will ensure that US vaccines for COVID-19 can be made available to  Bangladesh after successful production and help repatriation of  Rohingya refugees sheltered in the south Asian country. Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam told reporters after holding a bilateral meeting with his US counterpart Stephen E Biegun at Dhaka. Sheikh government had sought  US support over accessing potential Covid-19 vaccine, recovery from economic fallout caused by the ongoing pandemic and Rohingya repatriation, reported The Dhaka Tribune. Biegun arrived in Dhaka on a three-day official visit. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen to discuss various bilateral issues Biegun has also assured Dhaka that he would encourage US companies to invest in Bangladesh. “We have told him about the opportunities to invest in offshore blocks of Bangladesh and he said that it will be encouraging for US energy companies.” The US has also reiterated its commitment to work to resolve the Rohingya crisis., Shahriar Alam. They intend to engage themselves with Naypyidaw in these efforts after the national election of Myanmar in November, he said. An estimated 711,364 Rohingya refugees fled from Myanmar seeking safety and protection in Bangladesh. Their total number had gone up to  860,356 as of June 2020. The majority are reliant on humanitarian assistance including shelter, food, healthcare, clean water, and sanitation. courtesy: Dhaka Tribune