PM Hasina urges Japan to mount pressure on Myanmar for Rohingyas repatriation

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged Japan to mount pressure on Myanmar to take its 1.1 million Rohingyas back from Bangladesh.

"They (Myanmar) have to take Rohingyas back. These huge Rohingya people are a big burden for Bangladesh. How long will we host them?" she said when outgoing Japanese ambassador Hiroyasu Izumi met her at her Sangsad Bahban office.

PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.

Karim said the Japanese envoy mentioned that his country's sympathy is always with Bangladesh.

He highly appreciated Bangladesh's stance to allow the influx of Rohingyas and gave them shelter.

Hiroyasu Izumi also appreciated Bangladesh for not constructing fence along the border.

He said Bangladesh did not go for any type of conflict with Myanmar over the issue and hailed the government for going for the peaceful negotiation with the Myanmar government to send back the Rohingyas to their place of origin in Rakhine state.