Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged the Indonesian government to play a role in the repatriation of Rohingyas.
"The Myanmar refugee issue is a big problem for Bangladesh and it needs to be resolved," she said during a bilateral meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
The meeting was held at Jakarta Convention Centre on the sidelines of the IORA Leaders' Summit.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque said the Indonesian foreign minister recently visited Bangladesh and Myanmar to take account of the Myanmar refugee crisis.
Shahidul said the issues of cooperation on railway, pharmaceutical and energy sectors between Bangladesh and Indonesia also came up for discussions at the meeting.
The PM invited the Indonesian president to visit Bangladesh at his convenient time which he cordially accepted.
Widodo told Hasina that a ministry-level delegation will visit Bangladesh within two months to set the visit agenda after discussions with Bangladesh officials.
"We're hopeful that the visit of the Indonesian president to Bangladesh will take place by this year," the foreign secretary said.
Meanwhile, Hasina urged the leaders of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to reduce tension in the region, respect the freedom of navigation and use seas to promote friendship.
Stressing the importance of blue economy for future development, she also called on the leaders to dedicate themselves to strengthening maritime cooperation for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean.
Hasina was addressing the Leaders' Summit organised marking the 20th Anniversary of IORA at Jakarta Convention Center.
Terming blue economy the common interest of all the IORA member states, she said their quest for development through oceans and seas is part of their larger efforts to transform Bangladesh along with the IORA countries. "Let's set sail together."
The prime minister proposed establishing Indian Ocean Technical and Vocational University in Bangladesh for creating a pool of skilled mariners for the region and thanked the IORA leadership for adopting the IORA Concord and its Action Plan for strengthening maritime partnership.
Hasina mentioned that her government integrated SDG-14 in its 7th Five Year Plan renewing its focus on blue economy.
She said Bangladesh sees the IORA as a natural habitat for the efforts to project its aspirations jointly with the nations of the region and beyond.
"Indian Ocean is of paramount significance to us for security, connectivity, peace and prosperity."
Hasina mentioned that it constitutes the lifeline of the globalised world providing passage to half of its container ships, one-third of the bulk cargo traffic and two thirds of its oil shipments. Connectivity is critical for peace and development and Bangladesh attaches high priorities to connectivity, she added.
"We would like to connect not only physically but also connect through ideas, innovation, trade, finance, culture and tourism. More importantly, we would like to connect human minds to build peaceful and prosperous societies," Hasina told her audience.
Talking about the safety and rights of the mariners, she called upon all to ensure those and said despite global reputation for their skills and dedicated workmanship, Bangladesh seamen and marine engineers sometimes face unwarranted challenges.
Indicating the adverse impacts of climate change, Hasina said Bangladesh still remains hostage of adverse impacts of climate change despite efforts.
"And that means we are advancing towards an alarming rise at the sea level. It is predicted that with one metre rise in the sea level Bangladesh will lose one-third of our most valuable agricultural land and displace about 18 million people."