United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held discussions with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Dhaka on Friday morning (14 March), focusing on matters of mutual concern, including the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis.
Following the meeting, both leaders are scheduled to travel on the same flight from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Cox’s Bazar, where they will participate in a series of engagements, including a visit to the Rohingya camps and an Iftar programme with displaced refugees.
Earlier in the morning, Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain and the Chief Adviser’s High Representative on Rohingya Issues and Priority Matters, Khalilur Rahman, met with the UN chief at InterContinental Dhaka.
During the meeting, Guterres reiterated his commitment to advocating for increased global support for the Rohingya population.
“I will issue a call to the international community to enhance humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya men, women, and children who have already endured immense hardship,” Guterres stated.
He also emphasised the significance of his visit during Ramadan, underscoring his tradition of spending time with vulnerable Muslim communities during the holy month to highlight their struggles.
Guterres arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday (13 March) for a four-day official visit, during which he is scheduled to meet government officials, civil society representatives, journalists, and other dignitaries.
His visit will conclude on Sunday morning (16 March).
In Cox’s Bazar, Yunus and Guterres will be received at the airport at around 12pm on Friday by Disaster Management and Relief Adviser Faruk E Azam.
They will then proceed to the Rohingya refugee camp in Ukhiya, where they will receive a comprehensive briefing from the UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC), the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), the Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) Principal Coordinator, and representatives from IOM and UNHCR.
The briefing will provide a panoramic view of the camps and the Myanmar border.
Additionally, the World Bank will conduct a session outlining the role of international financial institutions in fortifying infrastructure and human capital investments among refugees.
The session will also highlight disaster mitigation efforts and integrated approaches to service delivery.
The chief adviser is also set to inspect the under-construction Cox’s Bazar International Airport and the Khurushkul Climate Refugee Centre later in the day.
In addition to engaging with Rohingya refugees who were forcibly displaced from Myanmar, Yunus and Guterres will meet with members of the host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
In the evening, they will join an Iftar event hosted by the chief adviser, where approximately 100,000 Rohingya refugees and local residents will be in attendance.
The delegation is expected to return to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar at around 8:40pm.
