by Staff Correspondent in Dhaka;

US presidential special envoy for climate John Kerry has called upon the international community to step up more to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis saying Bangladesh should not shoulder all the burdens stemmed out of the problem.

“The international community need to step up more as it is not only Bangladesh’s responsibility to take all the burden of Rohingya,” Kerry said while responding to a question on the refugee crisis.

The US envoy arrived in Dhaka on Friday morning to hand President Joe Biden’s invitation for Prime Minister Hasina to attend a virtual climate summit to be hosted later this month.

The Rohingya issue also featured in his meeting with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

Kerry said the US remains very focused on happening and concerted in finding a solution to the Rohingya crisis and restoring democracy in Myanmar, where the Rohingya fled violence.

He appreciated Bangladesh’s generosity which he thinks very expensive for Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been hosting more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims who fled persecution in Myanmar. Of them nearly 750,000 crossed the border after Myanmar military launched crackdown against this group in 2017.

Foreign Minister Momen said Rohingya are destroying forest and the geological ecosystem and hoped that US proactive initiative would help them for a safe and dignified return to Myanmar.

He also sought US support for increasing global climate ambition and commitment to accelerate implementation of the Paris Agreement during his meeting. 

He recalled the United States’ crucial role to the successful adoption of the Paris Accord and appreciated Biden government’s decision to return to the global climate negotiations which would create momentum to advance global climate progress.

He also referred to the contribution of Mr. Kerry for concluding the Paris Accord in 2015, and mentioned that Bangladesh had closely worked with the US delegation at that time.

Momen expressed hope that under the leadership of the U.S., the developed countries would come forward with ambitious actions to limit the global warming at 1.5 degree Celsius.

Kerry also called on the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Ganabhaban before his departure for Washington. He handed the Biden;s invitation for the Leaders’ Summit on Climate on April 22-23.

Forty global leaders are expected to join the meeting to be hosted by Biden who made the US comeback to Paris accord, from which the US withdrew during Donald Trump’s tenure.

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