Dhaka:Bangladesh and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on international humanitarian law and humanitarian action, notably in providing assistance to Rohingyas and host communities.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the commitment was made during a meeting between State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir and ICRC Head of Delegation in Bangladesh Nicolas Fleury at the foreign ministry.
Kobir expressed appreciation for the ICRC's longstanding humanitarian efforts in Bangladesh, highlighting its contributions to promoting International Humanitarian Law (IHL), disaster response, capacity-building, and emergency support. He reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to the Geneva Conventions and the role of the National IHL Committee.
The state minister also pointed out Bangladesh's global contributions to promoting IHL, mentioning its role as co-chair of the "IHL and Peace" workstream under the Global IHL Initiative. He noted the government's consideration of participating in the "High-Level Conference on Humanity in War" in Jordan this December.
Regarding the Rohingya crisis, Kobir praised the ICRC's assistance to displaced Rohingyas and host communities in Cox's Bazar and urged the organization to advocate for the early repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.
Fleury acknowledged Bangladesh's continued cooperation and expressed the ICRC's readiness to further support IHL capacity-building and humanitarian initiatives, emphasizing the importance of consolidating the longstanding partnership between Bangladesh and the ICRC.