Australian Minister for Home Affairs, Industry, Cyber security, Immigration and Multiculturalism Tony Burke has said that the only solution to the problem is for the Rohingyas to return to their own country in a safe environment. If not resolved, it could create problems for the wider region and by extension the world.
MP and Leader of the House of Australia Tony Burke said this during a bilateral meeting with the Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Bangladesh Government Md. Towhid Hossain at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday (October 31).
The Foreign Affairs Adviser referred to Australia’s continued moral and material support for the Rohingya population sheltering in Bangladesh and called for increased pressure on Myanmar by the international community for a sustainable solution to this crisis.
The Foreign Affairs Adviser thanked the Australian Minister for his visit to Bangladesh and briefed him on the background and impetus of the student-led mass uprising in Bangladesh, saying that the current interim government is the product of this mass uprising.
The Foreign Affairs Adviser briefed the Australian Minister on the reform initiatives taken by the current government to meet the aspirations of the people, especially the younger generation.
Tony Burke noted that there is strong support from the Bangladeshi community in Australia and especially in his constituency for the student-led movement in Bangladesh. He expressed his confidence in the government's efforts to right the wrongs of the past and build a brighter future for Bangladesh through effective reforms.
The Australian Home Affairs Minister stressed the need to encourage safe and regular migration as well as control irregular migration. The Foreign Affairs Adviser agreed with his position and emphasized effective steps by both sides to facilitate regular migration.
The Foreign Affairs Adviser thanked Tony Burke for his support and cooperation with the Bangladeshi expatriates in Australia and said that Bangladesh is keen to work with Australia to increase bilateral trade and enroll Bangladeshi students in Australian organizations.
Both sides highlighted the increasing number of Bangladeshi IT specialists in Australia's outsourcing sector.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Australia M. Allama Siddiqui and Mohammad Noor-e-Alam, Director General (East Asia and Pacific) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were present among others.