Rohingya return: PM Hasina reiterates call for continuing pressure on Myanmar

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated her call for putting continued pressure on Myanmar from different levels for the safe return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh.

The appeal was made when Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop met Hasina at a Sydney hotel on Friday morning on the first day of her three-day visit.

Following the meeting, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque said, “The prime minister talked about persistent pressure on Myanmar. The concerted efforts from different levels in every possible way are needed for mounting pressure on Myanmar. The prime minister also urged Australia to provide assistance for the Rohingyas.” 

About 700,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh since the military launched a crackdown in Myanmar's western Rakhine state in response to insurgent attacks on security forces in August.

The United States and the UN have described the operation as ethnic cleansing of the Rohingyas, which Myanmar denies.

With the recent arrival, the latest persecuted refugees joined another 400,000 already living in camps along the border for many years.

Following an agreement, Bangladesh handed a list of 8,032 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar for repatriation. After scrutinising the list, Myanmar agreed to take back Rohingyas anytime.

Mentioning the agreement, the prime minister told Bishop that despite the deal, Myanmar was yet to make it effective.

“The prime minister said they came, made a deal and agreed to take Rohingyas back. But they did not implement it,” said the PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.

Bishop lauded the Bangladesh government led by Hasina for hosting such a huge number of Rohingyas, said the foreign secretary.

She expressed Australia’s strong support for Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue.

Bishop highly praised the prime minister for her leadership in women’s empowerment.

Quoting Bishop, Shahidul Haque said, “You are also an inspirational leader in the world in women’s emancipation and empowerment. You are also a courageous leader and you faced the authoritative regime in the past.”

Hasina will receive the Global Women's Leadership Award at the International Convention Centre Sydney on Friday evening.

She will highlight her government's initiatives for women’s empowerment and mainstreaming them in the national development in her speech.

US-based Global Summit of Women, according to a bdnews24 report, will give the award for Hasina's leadership in women’s education and entrepreneurship in Bangladesh.

The prime minister will visit Western Sydney University on Saturday morning. She will have a bilateral meeting with Turnbull on Saturday afternoon, mainly focusing on education, sports, human resources development, trade and investment, energy, power, agriculture and ICT.

Hasina is likely to join a reception organised by expatriate Bangladeshis in Sydney at Sofitel Hotel on Saturday evening.

She will head back to Dhaka on Sunday afternoon.

The prime minister last visited Australia in 2011 to attend the 22nd Commonwealth Summit.