OIC assures Bangladesh of support for speedy Rohingya repatriation

Diplomatic Correspondent: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has assured Bangladesh of continued support for the speedy repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland, stressing that the prolonged crisis could pose a serious threat to regional security if left unresolved.Newly elected OIC Secretary General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed made the assurance on Wednesday when Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the OIC, Ambassador MJH Jabed, called on him and handed over a letter of felicitations from Bangladesh Foreign Minister and President of the 81st UN General Assembly Dr Khalilur Rahman.During the meeting, Cheikh Ahmed said the OIC would stand by Bangladesh in efforts to find a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis and facilitate their early return to their homeland.He warned that if the crisis remains unresolved, it could jeopardise regional security and cause immense suffering for people in the affected areas.Ambassador Jabed conveyed the Bangladesh Foreign Minister's warm wishes to the new OIC Secretary General and assured him of the government's full support in carrying out his responsibilities.The OIC chief also praised what he described as Bangladesh's democratic transition and expressed optimism that the country's development journey would gain fresh momentum under the leadership of Prime Minister Tariq Rahman.The two sides also discussed strengthening cooperation between Bangladesh and the OIC across a range of areas.Cheikh Ahmed highlighted the contribution of the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), an OIC subsidiary organ hosted by Bangladesh, to promoting science and technology education in the member states, particularly in their frontier regions.He assured that the OIC would explore new initiatives to expand IUT's research and innovation capacity, with particular emphasis on emerging fields such as artificial intelligence.The OIC Secretary General also indicated that Bangladesh is among the priority countries he intends to visit.The meeting further explored opportunities for greater economic and technical cooperation among OIC member states. The participants noted that the diversity of resources and expertise among member countries could be leveraged through joint initiatives in areas including contract farming, healthcare, science and technology, hospitality and education.Such cooperation, they said, could create mutually beneficial opportunities and contribute to development across OIC member states.Ambassador Jabed thanked the Secretary General for his positive outlook towards Bangladesh and its people and leadership.He said Bangladesh looks forward to working closely with the OIC Secretariat in the coming years on a range of cross-cutting issues of mutual interest.The discussions underscored the importance of continued cooperation between Bangladesh and the OIC, particularly in addressing the long-running Rohingya crisis and expanding collaboration in development, education, technology and other productive sectors.