DHAKA/WASHINGTON, 25 February, 2021 (TON): In order to create a conducive environment for the repatriation of the refugees from Bangladesh, the foreign minister of Bangladesh AK Abdul Momen suggested the US to appoint a special envoy on Rohingya to press Myanmar.

The government said in a statement on Wednesday, the foreign minister made the recommendation during a phone conversation with Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, in Washington on Tuesday.

Momen thanked the US government for its humanitarian and political support to Bangladesh to cope with the Rohingya exodus.

He emphasized that the US should take the lead, and bring the international community together to put enough political pressure on Myanmar to create the condition for sustainable return of the Rohingya and also thanked the US government for imposing sanctions on some Myanmar individuals

Secretary Blinken assured his country’s support for Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue and appreciated Bangladesh for sheltering over one million Rohingya refugees and showed his government’s full understanding of the tremendous pressure the crisis has created on the government and the people of Bangladesh.

Ned Price, the spokesperson for the US Department of State, said in a statement that Momen and Blinken discussed Myanmar, a durable solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis, and the importance of respect for labor and human rights.

Blinken congratulated Momen on Bangladesh’s 50th anniversary of independence in 2021, and both leaders expressed the desire for closer collaboration to address challenges in South Asia and the greater Indo-Pacific region.

During the successful bilateral talks, ways to deepen economic, counterterrorism, and defense cooperation, and work together to address common challenges such as climate change were discussed by the two.