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Published on November 5, 2017
US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas A Shannon reassured continued US support to Bangladesh in handling the Rohingya crisis as he called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official Ganabhaban residence.
"He (Shannon) said the United States will continue to support Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue and keep sustained pressure and engagement with Myanamar to take back their forcibly evicted nationals," premier's press secretary Ihsanul Karim told a media briefing after the call on Sunday evening.
The Prime Minister, he said, appreciated the US stance on Rohingya issue saying continued pressure and engagement with Myanmar was required for peaceful resolution of the crisis.
Sheikh Hasina shared with Shannon her experience while witnessing the Rohingyas’ plight and untold sufferings, particularly of their children and women, during her visit to their makeshift camps in Cox's Bazar.
She said her government gave shelter to tens of thousands of Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds, comparing their recent exodus to the 1971 Liberation War time situation when a huge number of people from Bangladesh took refuge in neighboring India.
The press secretary said the senior US official highly praised Bangladesh on its stance against terrorism alongside its stunning socioeconomic development under Sheikh Hasina's leadership.
"Bangladesh is now a remarkable example and model of self-development and self-confidence," he quoted Shanon as saying.
Paying tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the US under secretary of state mentioned that he visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum here to pay homage to the great leader.
The premier reiterated her call to stop the source of terror funding to root out terrorism saying "the US can play a vital role in this regard" and stressed sharing of information to fight terrorism. .
The premier particularly sought US assistance for ensuring cyber security calling it a very crucial issue.
The press secretary said that the issue of extradition of Bangabandhu's fugitive convicted killers now staying in the USA also came up for discussion.
PM's International Affairs Secretary Dr Gowher Rizvi and Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA M Ziauddin and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat were present.
Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol
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