UN chief Guterres, Bangladesh Chief Adviser Yunus discuss country's domestic issues, Rohingya situation

United Nations: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has discussed with Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus the country’s domestic issues and the Rohingya situation and expressed solidarity with Dhaka’s reform and transition process.

Guterres is in Bangladesh on a “Ramadan Solidarity” visit from March 13-16.

Guterres travelled to Cox's Bazaar on a mission of solidarity with the Rohingya refugees and with the Bangladeshi people who have hosted them.  He expressed appreciation for the close cooperation between the UN and Bangladesh, including its contributions to peacekeeping.  “The Secretary-General and the Chief Adviser discussed the situation of the Rohingya and Bangladesh’s domestic issues. The Secretary-General expressed his solidarity with Bangladesh’s reform and transition process,” a readout of the meeting between Guterres and Yunus provided by the office of the Secretary-General’s spokesperson said on Friday.

The Secretary-General is back in Dhaka after having spent the day in Cox’s Bazaar, part of his Ramadan solidarity visit with Rohingya refugees and their Bangladeshi host communities.

Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, told reporters at the daily press briefing that Guterres had the chance to meet with refugees, many of them young men and women, who told him about their experiences and their concerns.

He spoke to children who were grateful to be able to go to school in the camps, but also they said how much they missed their homes in Myanmar. Guterres also met young people who still have hope to return to their homeland but are also worried about the impending funding cuts which would dramatically reduce their monthly food rations (from USD 12.50 to USD 6 per month).

The Secretary-General assured every one of the people he met that he would do everything he could to stop the funding cuts, and he apologized to them because the United Nations and the international community have not been able to stop the conflict in Myanmar, Dujarric said.

Guterres shared an Iftar with about 60,000 refugees and told them that it was a symbol of his deep respect for their religion and their culture.  He also said that “we are facing a deep humanitarian crisis with the announced funding cuts, and he lamented that, as a result, many people will suffer, and some people might even die."

“My voice” Guterres said “will not end until the international community understands that they have the obligation to invest now in the Rohingya refugees.” Yunus was also present at the Iftar, and they met separately for a bilateral discussion.

Guterres was last in Cox’s Bazar in 2018 and noted that the “challenges are great on so many levels.” “This is the holy month of Ramadan, the month of solidarity. It would be unacceptable that in the month of solidarity, the international community would reduce the support for the Rohingyas in Bangladesh. We will do everything not to make it happen.”  During the visit, the Secretary-General met with Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Md Towhid Hossain and High Representative to the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh on Rohingya Issues and Priority Affairs Khalilur Rahman.

The Secretary-General and the Foreign Adviser discussed Bangladesh’s ongoing transition and reform efforts. The Secretary-General and the High Representative discussed the situation in Rakhine state and the upcoming high-level conference on Rohingya and other minorities in Myanmar.