Rohingya crisis must be solved before it is too late: Yunus
Staff Correspondent
Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor to the interim government, says that a quick solution is necessary to the Rohingya crisis and more needs to be done for the children growing up in refugee camps in Bangladesh.
"We have to resolve this before it is too late. We have to find a solution," he said during a meeting with Filippo Grandi, high commissioner of the UN refugee agency UNHCR, according to state news agency BSS.
Grandi said a new approach was necessary for the crisis and the international community should do more to end the misery of Rohingya refugees.
He said that Yunus taking charge of the Bangladesh government had increased global interest in the Rohingya crisis and hoped more funding would be made available for the refugees.
“The 700 million dollars from the World Bank is a good starting point," he said.
Yunus also met with Gilbert Houngbo, the chief of the International Labour Organisation on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Thursday.
Houngbo offered the agency’s support to the interim government to implement the ILO conventions.
“We are at your disposal," he said.
Yunus said that labour was a top priority for his government as it was key to turning Bangladesh into a world-class manufacturing hub.
“We are very serious about this," he said, adding that addressing labour issues would draw more foreign direct investment to Bangladesh.
