Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has asked Australia to increase investment in Bangladesh and step up diplomatic efforts to secure the safe repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. He made the requests during a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkiye, on Thursday.

The meeting began at 10:30am local time, the prime minister's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu said. The two leaders discussed climate change, investment opportunities in Bangladesh, the Rohingya crisis, cooperation in the agriculture sector and other issues of mutual interest.

Investment and invitations

On investment, the prime minister highlighted the opportunities available in Bangladesh and called for increased Australian investment in the country. Bangladesh, he said, offered opportunities for foreign investors, and the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties and expand trade and investment.

During the meeting, Tarique invited Albanese to visit Bangladesh. In response, the Australian prime minister expressed hope that he would be able to visit the country at a convenient time next year. Albanese also invited Tarique to visit Australia, and the Bangladesh prime minister expressed hope that he would make the visit at a convenient time.

Climate at the centre

Climate change was at the heart of the talks. Tarique stressed the need to give priority to the needs of developing countries, particularly those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. He appreciated Australia's leadership role in the ongoing COP31 negotiation process, with Australia presiding over the formal negotiations at the summit in Antalya.

Bangladesh is among the countries most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, and the prime minister briefed Albanese on Bangladesh's plans for renewable energy, saying the government was working to meet 20 per cent of the country's total electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030. He also highlighted government initiatives to protect the environment and address the impacts of climate change, including a plan to plant 25 crore trees across the country and programmes for excavating canals.

Rohingya repatriation

On the Rohingya issue, Tarique sought Australia's support for ensuring the safe repatriation of Myanmar's displaced nationals sheltered in Bangladesh to their homeland. He called for stronger Australian diplomatic efforts to help resolve the crisis, stressing that it originated in Myanmar and that a lasting solution must also be found there.

Bangladesh has pressed the same case in other meetings this week. Earlier on Thursday, Foreign Ministry Secretary (Bilateral) Dr Md Nazrul Islam raised the issue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Kelley Anne Eckels-Currie, in Dhaka, renewing Bangladesh's call for safe and early repatriation and expressing concern over the worsening human rights situation in Myanmar, particularly continued violence and forced displacement in Rakhine State.

A busy day at COP31

Thursday was the final day of Tarique's three-day official visit to Antalya. He arrived on Tuesday to attend the COP31 World Leaders' Summit, and on Thursday he addressed the High-Level Segment of the conference, outlining five urgent actions to address the needs of climate-vulnerable countries.

On the sidelines of the conference, he also held bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, discussing ways to strengthen bilateral ties, expand trade and investment, and enhance cooperation in addressing the impacts of climate change. He left Antalya for Dhaka on Thursday afternoon, departing Antalya Airport at 4:15pm local time for Istanbul, and was scheduled to leave Istanbul at 7:30pm local time, arriving at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 5:50am on Friday.