Canadian Minister to begin virtual visit to Bangladesh this evening

Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould will begin her three-day virtual visit to Bangladesh on Tuesday evening.

Minister Gould will have the chance to meet with the government officials and key partners to discuss Bangladesh-Canada cooperation, the Rohingya refugee response.

She will have the chance to see firsthand how Canada’s development projects are being delivered, meet with affected populations, and hold bilateral discussions, said the Canadian High Commission in Dhaka.

With the upcoming 4th anniversary of the Rohingya refugee crisis later this month, the High Commission said, it is an important opportunity to recognize the people and the government of Bangladesh for continuing to generously host 889,000 Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar district.

Canada said it remains committed to supporting both the refugees and affected Bangladeshi communities to deal with the impact of the crisis while the Rohingya refugees remain in need of safe refuge in Bangladesh.

No one wants to be a refugee or to be forced to leave their home, said the High Commission.

"While the situation in their home country of Myanmar is not encouraging, Canada shares the Government of Bangladesh’s objective – and that of the Rohingya refugees themselves – that they are able to return home when it is possible to do so in a safe, dignified, and voluntary manner," reads a message shared by the High Commission.