‘180 Myanmar army men to return home, 170 Bangladeshis to be brought back’

Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud has said measures are being taken to bring home 170 Bangladeshis trapped in Myanmar and send back 180 members of border guard police (BGP) and army personnel of Myanmar who took refuge in Bangladesh.

He said was exchanging views with journalists at his ministry on Tuesday afternoon.

Hasan said a total of 177 members of Myanmar's Border Guard Police (BGP) and later three of their army personnel took shelter in Bangladesh.  “Myanmar government agreed to take them back after discussions with us”.

“Besides, we proposed bringing back 170 Bangladeshis detained in various ways in Myanmar. They (Myanmar) also responded positively to our proposal,” he said.

Responding to a query over BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed's raising of allegation of corruption against Awami League and comments that the country has become full of beggars, Hasan, also Awami League Joint General Secretary, said that the FBI of the US has given testimony against the corruption and 'money-laundering' of the BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman.

Laundered money of Arafat Rahman Koko, Tarique's younger brother and second son of Begum Khaleda Zia, has been recovered from Singapore, he mentioned.

During their tenure, the country became world champion in corruption for five times in a row and BNP is now talking much to conceal these wrongdoings, he said.

Earlier, UK Liberal Democrat Party's Foreign Affairs Spokesperson (Lords Spokesperson) Lord Jeremy Purvis called on the Foreign Minister at the ministry.

About the meeting, the minister said he extended thanks to Lord Jeremy for UK's continued cooperation in the development process of Bangladesh and in dealing with the Rohingya crisis and various areas of mutual interest.

Different issues of mutual interest including their House of Lords' role in improving relations with Bangladesh were discussed, he mentioned.