Want to resolve Rohingya crisis through talks: PM

Mentioning that hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas is a big burden for Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said her country wants to resolve the Rohingya crisis through discussions with Myanmar.

"Giving shelter to such a large number of Rohingyas is a big burden for us ... we want to resolve the issue through discussions," she said during a meeting with Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon in London on Monday evening (London time).

PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told UNB over phone from London that Lord Ahmad assured all possible support over the Rohingya issue, saying new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is aware of it.

About combating terrorism, both the Prime Minister and Lord Ahmad said Islam is a religion of peace and it does not support terrorism.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has created mass awareness involving the cross section of people to fight terrorism.

She also talked about the existing communal harmony in Bangladesh, saying people of all faiths are exercising their respective religions freely.

She informed Lord Ahmad that the government is establishing Islamic research centres across the country to uphold the true spirit of Islam.

The Prime Minister and Lord Ahmad also shed light on the Brexit issue.

Lord Ahmad highly praised women empowerment in Bangladesh under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Sheikh Hasina said only education can ensure women empowerment.

Describing various initiatives of the government for ensuring women empowerment, she said the government recruits 60 percent of teachers at primary level from women.

Expressing satisfaction over the existing wonderful relations between Bangladesh and the UK, they hoped that the ties will be strengthened further in the days to come

Lord Ahmad was accompanied by his spouse Siddiqa Ahmed while PM's Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman and Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem were present at the meeting.