Guterres arrives today
UN Secretary General António Guterres is set to arrive on a four-day visit to Bangladesh this afternoon to witness the Rohingya situation.
Guterres's visit, which is his second, is expected to strengthen international efforts to mobilise increased aid for the Rohingya people and reignite global attention on the Rohingya crisis.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. During his visit, which comes as part of his Ramadan solidarity visit, Guterres and Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus will visit Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar and attend an iftar party with the presence of 1 lakh Rohingyas on Friday.
The Rohingya crisis has been overshadowed and lost focus due to numerous global crises, said Shafiqul Alam, Yunus's press secretary, at a press conference yesterday.
"We hope that he [Guterres] will deliver a strong and positive message. As a result, we wish for an early resolution of the Rohingya crisis so that the Rohingya people can return to their homeland with respect and dignity."
The government is also exploring how humanitarian aid for the Rohingya, which has dropped sharply, can be bumped up.
"Rohingya's nutritional needs are very important, and Bangladesh aims to ensure that these needs are not compromised in any way. To address this, international support is needed -- approximately $15 million per month is required for the Rohingyas."
The government is continuing its all-out diplomatic efforts to ensure the safe and dignified return of Rohingyas to their home in the Rakhine state of Myanmar, he said.
On Saturday, Guterres will hold a meeting with Yunus at his office. A joint media briefing is scheduled to be held in the afternoon that day. He will also meet with the National Consensus Commission.
He will leave Bangladesh the next day, said Azad Majumder, Yunus's deputy press secretary.
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