Speaker Seeks Effective Role for Norway and Europe in Repatriating Rohingyas to Their Own Country

National Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikram has said international support and cooperation are needed to send the Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh back to their own country. He called on Norway and other European countries to play an effective role in this regard.

He made the remarks during a courtesy call by Norway's ambassador to Dhaka, Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen, at the Speaker's office in the National Parliament building on Sunday (November 1). At the same time, the Speaker expressed interest in Norwegian investment in oil and gas exploration and extraction in Bangladesh's coastal areas.

Highlighting the long-standing friendly relations between the two countries, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said ties between Bangladesh and Norway have steadily expanded since the great Liberation War of 1971. Norway has also long cooperated with Bangladesh in developing parliamentary democracy, he noted.

Describing the country's political situation, the Speaker said that during the past 17 years of rule, people's democratic rights were undermined and parliamentary democracy was obstructed by the electoral system. Enforced disappearances, killings, terrorism and extrajudicial killings took place during that period, and top opposition leaders including former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia had to endure imprisonment, he said.

He said the July 2024 mass uprising brought that rule to an end and reopened the path of democratic progress in the country. Describing the 13th national parliamentary election as one of the most acceptable elections in Bangladesh's history, he said the current government is working to fulfil the people's democratic aspirations.

The discussion also touched on human rights protection and Bangladesh's role in UN peacekeeping. The Speaker said Bangladesh has been playing an important role in protecting human rights worldwide, and that cooperation from the international community is essential for a lasting solution to the Rohingya crisis.

Ambassador Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen said Bangladesh's long-standing participation in UN peacekeeping missions is appreciated internationally and that the country is making a notable contribution to world peace by sending peacekeepers. Norway is keen to continue cooperating in the development of Bangladesh's parliamentary democracy and in human rights protection, he said.

The meeting discussed forming a parliamentary friendship group between the two countries, exchanging parliamentary delegation visits, and the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of contributions to world peace. They also exchanged views on the ongoing constitution reform committee's work and the July Charter.

The Speaker invited Norwegian companies to take part in oil and gas exploration and extraction in Bangladesh's maritime coastal areas, including Bhola. Representatives of the Norwegian embassy and senior officials of the National Parliament Secretariat were present at the meeting.