The United Kingdom has expressed its keenness to work on alternative energy with Bangladesh.
UK Minister of State for South Asia, the United Nations and the Commonwealth Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon expressed the desire when he called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganobhaban.
Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters after the call-on.
He said that during the meeting both also discussed various issues like climate, British-Bangladesh trade and the Rohingya issue.
Emphasizing on green energy, the UK state minister said that the region has a great potential of green energy as Nepal and Bhutan have hydroelectricity.
He also said hydroelectricity can be distributed through establishing a regional grid.
“We are working on it,” the Prime Minister replied.
As Tariq Ahmad stressed the need for solar energy, Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh has so far given 6.5 million solar connections.
About the Rohingya issue, Ahmad said that they want the Rohingyas to return to their homeland in Myanmar from Bangladesh.
He mentioned that he met many Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar and said they highly lauded Bangladesh’s Prime Minister and the present government.
The UK minister said that Rohingyas blamed their men for causing trouble in their camps, quoting them as saying he added: “No Bangladeshi is responsible for causing trouble in the camps."
Sheikh Hasina told the UK minister that some Rohingyas have been shifted to Bhasan Char.
The Prime Minister said that her government has taken measures to give them jobs, proper education and training to make them skilled as they will not be considered a burden when they are sent back to their homeland.
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She called upon the international agencies to work for the Rohingyas upon taking them back to Myanmar.
Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus and the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson, were present.