Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said Bangladesh held a zero-tolerance policy against illegal migration.
"We don't want anyone to migrate illegally as well. We show zero tolerance on this matter," she said when visiting UK Minister of State ((Indo-pacific) in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Anne-Marie Trevelyan paid a courtesy call on her at the PM's official residence Ganabhaban, reports UNB.
Briefing the media after the meeting, PM's speechwriter Md Nazrul Islam said Anne-Marie raised the issue of illegal migration saying that the UK welcomes legal migration.
Noting that illegal migration is a problem for the United Kingdom, she said the Bangladeshi nationals who staying illegally in the UK should return home.
The UK minister of state welcomed the move to sign a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) between Bangladesh and the UK soon for identification and return of persons without any authorisation to stay.
The prime minister sought the UK's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bangladesh and offered it land in special economic zones.
She said Bangladesh would purchase 10 aircraft in phases from the European manufacturer Airbus.
Anne-Marie raised the issues of housing, education and healthcare facilities and training on employment for Rohingya now sheltered in Bangladesh.
In this context, the premier said there was no scope to ensure different facilities in overcrowded Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar. That's why her government built houses in Bhashanchar for them, ensuring all sorts of facilities like education, health and self-employment.
She sought the help of the good offices of the UK for quick repatriation of the Rohingyas as they were increasing in number day by day.
Bangladesh is now hosting over one million Rohingya who fled their homes in Myanmar to flee killings, rape and atrocities.
Besides, the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh and climate change issues came up for discussion in the meeting, said Nazrul.
Regarding the climate change, Hasina said only Britain contributed to the loss and damage fund under the Paris Agreement but there was no notable response from other countries. Bangladesh and the UK have already signed a climate accord, she said.
Talking about the socioeconomic uplift of Bangladesh, the prime minister said her government opened all sectors, including media to the private sector during her first term from 1996 to 2001 and now the people are enjoying the benefits.
She said coming to power in 2009, her government took and implemented the Vision 2021, transformed the country into a Digital Bangladesh and elevated it to a middle-income country.
The PM said the government is now working to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, make Bangladesh an upper middle income country by 2031, and transform it into a developed, prosperous and smart Bangladesh by 2041.
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