Dhaka: Bangladesh and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today expressed a mutual interest in bolstering ongoing support for forcibly displaced Rohingyas and the communities hosting them. The interest was articulated during a meeting where Nicolas Paul Albin Fleury, the newly appointed ICRC Head of Delegation in Bangladesh, presented his credentials to Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain at the foreign ministry, as stated in a ministry press release.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, during the meeting, both parties exchanged views on strengthening cooperation between Bangladesh and the ICRC, focusing on humanitarian assistance, disaster management, and international humanitarian law. The Foreign Affairs Adviser assured the government's continued support for the ICRC, which has been operational in Bangladesh since 2010.
Furthermore, Fleury met with Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam to discuss the ICRC's ongoing and planned activities in Bangladesh. The Foreign Secretary, who chairs the National IHL Committee of Bangladesh, praised the ICRC for its assistance with the Committee's work. The discussion also covered Bangladesh's active participation in the Global IHL Initiative of the ICRC.
Fleury, a Swiss national, has had a notable career with the ICRC, with experience in Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Balkans, as well as at the ICRC Headquarters in Geneva.