Prime Minister calls on IOM to collect funds for Rohingyas
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on the IOM to raise more funds for Rohingya relief in Bangladesh from new sources.
She said that as funding to support displaced Rohingya from Myanmar has dwindled, IOM should find new partners to raise more funds.
The Prime Minister said this when International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General (DG) Amy Pope paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister's official residence, Ganabhaban, on Tuesday morning (May 7).
At the end of the meeting the Prime Minister's speech writer Nazrul Islam briefing reporters at Sheikh Hasina's official residence Ganabhaban said the Prime Minister has also asked IOM to help relocate Rohingyas in Bhasanchar because, housing system with all facilities including education, healthcare services and employment has been created for one lakh Rohingyas. So far 30-35 thousand Rohingya have been shifted to Bhasanchar.
In the meeting, the IOM Director General visited the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar and raised the security issue of the Rohingya camp to the Prime Minister.
Sheikh Hasina said that her government has appointed sufficient number of security personnel to ensure their safe stay and security in the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar.
The Prime Minister said the Rohingyas are divided into various groups and sub-groups and are engaged in internal conflicts. She said that as the Rohingyas are more in number, the local people have now become a minority in their area.
Amy Pope emphasized on providing proper training in language and culture to the immigrants to enhance their skills according to the needs of the host country. In response, the Prime Minister said that her government has given top priority to providing proper training in profession and language to understand someone from another country.
She also said that they have set up 112 technical training centers across the country to provide training to create a skilled population.
The Prime Minister said that migration is a natural process. She opines, however, that if poverty is reduced, the number of emigration will decrease significantly.
The Prime Minister said her government has taken various programs for the migrants, including collateral-free loans. Sheikh Hasina said that both host and source countries have to protect the interests of migrants, as they are working for the socio-economic progress of both countries.
She said, people have also migrated internally due to climate change. The Prime Minister said that Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to the harmful effects of climate change and people are being displaced internally due to river erosion, floods and cyclones.
Sheikh Hasina said her government has given homes to more than 4,000 climate refugees in Khurushkul, Cox's Bazar.
She said her government was building climate resilient houses and floating houses for flood-prone areas and provided free houses to the homeless.
At this time, the Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister Tofazzal Hossain Mia and Secretary of Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment Ruhul Amin were present.