Arakan News Agency
Visiting secretary general of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen on Thursday suggested holding an interfaith dialogue between Bangladesh’s Muslim religious leaders and Myanmar’s Buddhist leaders to resolve the Rohingya problem.
“The dialogue will help develop a better understanding among them (leaders) and resolve the Rohingya problem,” he said when he met prime minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in the morning.
After the meeting, the prime minister’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.
The OIC secretary general thanked Bangladesh for giving shelter to Rohingya refugees and told the prime minister, ‘You’re very generous’.
Sheikh Hasina said the problem, in fact, started in 1991 and now there are some 400,000 undocumented Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. “We’re pursuing Myanmar to take back their nationals as I can’t throw them out,” she added.
Hasina said her government has already earmarked an island to give temporary shelter to the Rohingya refugees so that they could live in a better condition.
In response, the OIC Secretary General appreciated the move saying, “It’s a brilliant idea.”
The prime minister said the border guards of both Bangladesh and Myanmar are also having talks between them and they have developed good relations.
