Bangladesh has called for continued Japanese support to help resolve the protracted Rohingya crisis, stressing that the return of the displaced Myanmar nationals to Rakhine State must be safe, voluntary, sustainable and dignified.

Bangladesh Foreign Affairs State Minister Humayun Kabir made the appeal during a meeting with Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of the Nippon Foundation, at his office in Dhaka on Sunday.

Kabir said Bangladesh remained firmly committed to working with the international community to find a lasting solution to the humanitarian and regional crisis, while appreciating Japan and the Nippon Foundation for their continued humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees sheltering in Bangladesh.

According to BSS, the meeting also highlighted the long-standing relationship between Bangladesh and the Nippon Foundation, which dates back to 1971, when the foundation provided emergency relief to displaced people during Bangladesh’s Liberation War.

Sasakawa said the foundation’s more than five decades of engagement with Bangladesh had been built on “deep friendship and mutual trust.” Its work in the country has since expanded into development, healthcare, and education, while the Rohingya humanitarian crisis has become an important area of its recent support.

The meeting also covered the Nippon Foundation’s long-running efforts to eliminate leprosy. Sasakawa briefed the state minister on the foundation’s cooperation with the World Health Organization, governments, international agencies, NGOs and organizations representing people affected by the disease.

He also expressed the foundation’s interest in expanding support for people affected by leprosy in Bangladesh.

For Dhaka, however, the Rohingya crisis remains an increasingly urgent regional challenge. Bangladesh continues to push for conditions that would allow refugees to return to their homeland with safety and dignity while seeking sustained international engagement to keep humanitarian assistance flowing and maintain pressure for a durable political solution in Myanmar.

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