DHAKA, March 3, 2022 (BSS) - United Nations secretary general Antonio 
Guterres has praised the role of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the UN Missions 
and hoped that the country would continue to provide more troops to fulfill 
UN's future needs in this connection.

The UN secretary general lauded the Bangladeshi peacekeepers role when he met 
Bangladesh foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at the UN headquarters in New 
York on Tuesday, according to a message received here today.

During the meeting, Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen requested the SG to 
appoint more Bangladeshi nationals at the high-level positions of the UN 
peace operations, and also in the position of SRSG (Special Representative of 
Secretary General) in various UN political missions across the world. 

The foreign minister briefed the SG about the current situation of the 
forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals and sought UN's help to repatriate all 
Rohingyas to Myanmar.

Appreciating Bangladesh's generosity for sheltering 1.1 million Rohingyas, 
Guterres reiterated UN's support for returning the forcibly displaced 
Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar.

Guterres applauded Bangladesh's extraordinary socio-economic development 
under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and hoped that 
Bangladesh would continue to achieve more successes in the coming years, 
particularly in attaining the SDGs.

Earlier, the foreign minister held a meeting with the newly appointed Special 
Envoy of the Secretary General (SESG) on Myanmar Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, who is 
currently visiting New York.

During the meeting, Momen requested the SESG to engage with all stakeholders 
including the regional countries to find a durable solution to the Rohingya 
crisis, particularly by creating a conducive environment in Rakhine state so 
that the displaced people can return to their homes in safety, security and 
dignity.

Heyzer assured that the Rohingya issue will remain high on her agenda and she 
would remain deeply engaged with all relevant stakeholders - the regional 
countries and other international actors, Rohingya leaders and the 
authorities in Myanmar to find a sustainable solution to this crisis as soon 
as possible.

The special envoy expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for 
providing shelter to the Rohingya when they fled Myanmar in 2017 and 
commended her for her compassion and leadership.

Foreign Minister stated that, in the absence of any hope for return to their 
homeland, the Rohingyas increasingly have been getting involved in illicit 
and criminal activities.

Momen also briefed her on the steps taken by the Bangladesh government to 
prevent spread of COVID in Rohingya camps, to provide Myanmar-curriculum-
based education to Rohingya children in the camps, among others.

Dr Momen Invited Heyzer to visit Cox's Bazar camps and Bhashan char at her 
earliest convenience.