DHAKA, March 12, 2023 (BSS) - State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam today said protracted Rohingya crisis needs an urgent political and sustainable solution for ensuring instability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

 “We urge the Indo-Pacific countries, including the UK, to support us towards an early resolution of this crisis (Rohingya crisis),” he said.

The state minister made the call while delivering his speech as the chair of a discussion on ‘Bangladesh-UK Partnership in the context of Indo-Pacific’ held Foreign Service Academy in the capital.

Visiting the UK's minister of state (Indo-Pacific) Anne-Marie Trevelyan was the keynote speaker while British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson also joined the talks, among others.

Shahriar said promoting efforts toward the realization of a prosperous and peaceful Indo-Pacific, lasting peace and absence of armed conflicts are absolute essentials.

“We would continue to collaborate with the UK in maintaining a free, open, peaceful, secure and inclusive Indo-Pacific with the shared prosperity for all,” he added.

Expressing Bangladesh’s interest to work together with the UK, he said “to reap shared prosperity, peace and stability in the region by aligning our priorities with the ‘Indo-Pacific Tilt’ framework.”

Shahriar said that Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific outlook is not completely security centric, rather Bangladesh focuses on inclusive development of this region.

“It is neither about making critical choices between the major powers, nor it is designed to encircle any specific country, it envisions promoting fundamental principles, such as, rule of law, freedom of navigation, inclusiveness, and free trade,” he added.

Mentioning that Bangladesh and the UK have been closely working together in various activities and initiatives focusing on world peace, and sustainable development he said frequent high-level engagements testify both countries’ desire to consolidate and expand areas of cooperation.