Staff Correspondent

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said that allowing new structures in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar would not be wise as environmental and ecological imbalance has already emerged there due to massive deforestation for sheltering the forcibly displaced Myanmar people.

“It wouldn’t be wise to allow new structures in Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar as environmental and ecological imbalance has already emerged there due to massive deforestation,” she said.

The premier made this remarks when Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban here this evening.

Prime Minister’s Speech Writer Md Nazrul Islam briefed the newsmen after the call on.

Sheikh Hasina said that Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar are very much congested and the Rohingyas are living there in an unhealthy condition. “If they are taken to the Bhashanchar, their living standard will improve and they will stay better in terms of hearth aspects,” she added.

She sought the support of Yohei Sasakawa for the repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingyas to their motherland, Myanmar as they are stranded in Bangladesh over six years.

Besides, the premier also sought more support from the Nippon Foundation to shift more Rohingyas to Bhashanchar from Cox’s Bazar for the interim period.

Currently, Nippon Foundation is providing different types of assistances for the Rohingyas.

Yohei Sasakawa appreciated and lauded the accommodation facilities of Rohingyas in Bhashanchar, and said that Nippon Foundation is keen to provide training to the Rohingyas to boost their income generation as well as education to the Rohingya children.

To this end, he placed proposals to the premier.

The Prime Minister said that Bangladesh has given shelter to the Rohingyas on humanitarian ground as over 40,000 women were pregnant at that time, and that is why the government provided food and medical facilities by setting up field hospitals.

Non-government organisations and international agencies joined the government later to support the Rohingyas, she added.

She said that number of Rohingyas is increasing rapidly day by day due to the conservative mentality of Rohingya women as they are not interested to accept family planning.

Yohei Sasakawa Said that Nippon Foundation is also willing to work in this regard.

Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin and PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah were, among others, present at the meeting.