Dhaka: Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi arrived here on Tuesday in a brief visit to discuss with Bangladesh leadership the current persecution on the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine.
The Indonesian Foreign Minister arrived at 12:10 pm by a flight of Thai Airways and is scheduled to depart at 10:00 pm by a flight of Singapore Airlines.
She will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the evening and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali at 4pm at State guesthouse Padma during her stay here.
As of now, around 90,000 people — mostly women and children — entered Bangladesh after the attacks on police and army bases in Rakhine state on August 25 and the Myanmar military began crackdown.
The Indonesian minister earlier in December last year also visited Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar and discussed with Bangladesh authorities for finding a lasting solution to the Rohingya crisis.
Earlier, Bangladesh has welcomed Indonesia’s willingness to engage with Myanmar to find ways for arresting the escalation of violence and finding a solution of the “protracted” problem.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi had a discussion over telephone on the issue on Tuesday last, said the Foreign Ministry officials on Wednesday.
Mahmood Ali further discussed the Rohingya issue on Wednesday when newly appointed Ambassador of Indonesia Rina Prithyasmiarsi Soemarno met him at the Foreign Ministry.
He also raised the issue of the recent escalation of violence in the Rakhine State of Myanmar following the attacks on Myanmar security posts on August 25 and expressed concern at the imminent influx of Muslim population from the state seeking shelter in Bangladesh.
The minister reiterated Bangladesh’s readiness to assist Myanmar in addressing the security concern.
He emphasised implementation of the recommendations of the Kofi Anan-led “Rakhine Advisory Commission” for a durable solution of the problem of the Rakhine State.unb
