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Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed sought Norway’s cooperation in resolving the Rohingya crisis. He stated that the long-term presence of this vast Rohingya population poses a significant challenge to Bangladesh’s security and economy. He urged Norway and the international community to play a stronger role in ensuring the safe, dignified, and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya citizens to their homeland, Myanmar.
He made these remarks on Tuesday (June 2) during a courtesy meeting with Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh, Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen, at his office in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Secretariat.
Held in a very cordial atmosphere, the meeting featured fruitful discussions on various issues of mutual interest to both countries, including bilateral trade, investment cooperation in sectors such as renewable energy, combating climate change, and the Rohingya crisis.
At the outset of the meeting, the Minister expressed deep gratitude for Norway’s early recognition of Bangladesh as an independent state in 1972 and its continued support for Bangladesh’s socio-economic development.
He stated that the current government’s foreign policy prioritizes national interest, sovereignty, and security, with democratic values, human rights, and the rule of law forming its core foundation.
During the meeting, the Ambassador highly praised Bangladesh’s recent socio-economic progress and informed that Norway is now shifting its focus from traditional development cooperation towards increasing bilateral trade and investment. The Minister welcomed Norway’s decision and emphasized the diversification of export products from Bangladesh to Norway.
He highlighted the immense potential for exporting high-value products from Bangladesh to the Norwegian market, such as pharmaceuticals, leather goods, IT services, jute products, and handicrafts. Simultaneously, he invited Norwegian entrepreneurs to make large-scale investments in Bangladesh’s renewable energy, information and communication technology, shipbuilding, and packaging industries.
Praising Norway’s international leadership in combating the global challenge of climate change, the Minister stated that Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate risks. He emphasized further increasing bilateral cooperation in renewable energy, environmentally friendly, and low-carbon technology projects in Bangladesh through the Green Climate Fund and Norfund’s Climate Investment Fund.
Additionally, he called for increasing institutional exchanges between the two countries in education, technological cooperation, digital innovation, vocational training, and research, requesting a further expansion of Norwegian scholarships for Bangladeshi students.
The excellent role of the Bangladeshi diaspora residing in Norway was commended during the meeting, further strengthening the cultural and economic ties between the two nations.
Regarding the Rohingya crisis, the Home Minister thanked Norway for its continuous humanitarian assistance to the forcibly displaced Myanmar citizens (Rohingya) sheltered in Cox’s Bazar and for the active involvement of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
However, he strongly reiterated that the long-term presence of this vast population poses a major challenge to Bangladesh’s security and economy. He urged Norway and the international community to play a stronger role in ensuring the safe, dignified, and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya citizens to their homeland, Myanmar.
The Norwegian Ambassador, referring to the shared values between Bangladesh and Norway, assured that the unity and cooperation between the two countries on matters of mutual interest would continue in various international forums, including the United Nations, and that Norway would always stand by Bangladesh for its overall development and security.
Among those present during the meeting were Sarwar Jahan Chowdhury, Political Advisor at the Norwegian Embassy; Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed, Additional Secretary of the Political Wing at the Ministry of Home Affairs; Rebeka Khan, Joint Secretary of Political-1 Section; and Md. Aminul Islam, Deputy Secretary of Political-3 Section.