DHAKA, Dec 19, 2017 (BSS) – Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim arrived in the city last night on a two-day official visit to see the plight of Rohingyas who fled from a military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine state since August 25.
A Turkish aircraft carrying the premier and members of his entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 8.45 pm.
On his arrival at the airport, Binali Yildirim, who is visiting the country at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was received by Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali.
Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya visited Turkey last month to hand over the invitation letter to the Turkish PM.
During the visit, Binali Yildirim will pay homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War of Bangladesh by placing a wreath at the National Martyrs’ Memorial at Savar at 8.30 am on Tuesday.
He will also visit Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi to pay his tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Oh his way to Bangabandhu Memorial Museum from Savar, the Turkish premier will inaugurate a cancer unit at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital
He will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the capital where they are expected to discuss the Rohingya issue in detail as well as issues on bilateral trade and investment, sources said.
During the visit, the relations between Bangladesh and Turkey, which is based on friendship and brotherhood, is expected to be discussed comprehensively, a Turksih foreign ministry statement said sunday.
The Turkish Premier will visit Rohingya Refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar where thousands of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals have been taking shelter following violence in Rakhine state since August 25.
The aim of his visit in Rohingya Refugee camps is to have a firsthand experience on the gravity and seriousness of the situation at Rohingya camps. He is also expected to meet senior government officials to discuss the efforts being undertaken to improve conditions for significant influx of refugees into Bangladesh to effectively meet life-saving needs.
Meanwhile, Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan, and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited Rohingya camps in Bangladesh in September and witnessed themselves the plight of the Rohingya people.
Besides, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also talked to his Bangladesh counterpart M Abdul Hamid to know the current state of the humanitarian crisis. Binali Yildirim is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Turkey on Wednesday.
Some 650,000 Rohingyas have crossed from Myanmar into Bangladesh since August 25, according to UN figures.