Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has asked Australia to increase investment in Bangladesh and to step up diplomatic efforts to secure the safe repatriation of Rohingya refugees, during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya.

The meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took place at 10:30am local time on Thursday, 12 November, and was confirmed by the prime minister's Deputy Press Secretary, Hasan Shiplu. The two leaders discussed climate change, investment opportunities in Bangladesh, agricultural cooperation, the Rohingya crisis and other issues of mutual interest, according to the prime minister's office.

On the Rohingya issue, Rahman sought Australia's support for ensuring the safe, voluntary and dignified return of displaced Myanmar nationals sheltering in Bangladesh to their homeland. He told Albanese that the crisis originated in Myanmar and that a lasting solution must also be found there — a position Dhaka has held consistently as the refugee presence in Cox's Bazar stretches into its ninth year, with no large-scale repatriation yet achieved.

Investment and climate on the agenda

Rahman also used the meeting to press for more Australian investment, presenting Bangladesh's climate initiatives and renewable energy targets alongside the case for deeper economic ties. The two leaders exchanged invitations for future visits: Rahman invited Albanese to Bangladesh, and the Australian prime minister said he hoped to visit at a convenient time next year. Albanese also invited Rahman to visit Australia, an invitation the Bangladeshi leader said he hoped to take up.

The meeting was part of a busy schedule for Rahman, who arrived in Antalya on Tuesday for a three-day official visit to attend the COP31 World Leaders' Summit. On Thursday he addressed the summit's High-Level Segment, setting out five urgent actions to protect climate-vulnerable countries — a theme that sits at the heart of Bangladesh's diplomacy, as one of the nations most exposed to rising seas, cyclones and flooding.

On the sidelines of the conference, Rahman also held bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as well as with UK Foreign Secretary Edward Miliband, with whom he likewise raised the Rohingya repatriation question and cooperation on climate adaptation.

Visit wraps up in Antalya

Rahman left Antalya for Dhaka on Thursday afternoon after the summit, travelling via Istanbul and due to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka early on Friday morning. His office said the visit had given Bangladesh a platform to press its case on climate finance and to build support among partner countries for a resolution of the Rohingya crisis.

For Canberra, the meeting adds a South Asian dimension to a summit where Australia has been closely involved: Australia and Turkiye jointly hold the COP31 presidency, and Albanese's government has positioned itself as a partner for climate-vulnerable states in the region. Whether the warm words in Antalya translate into new investment or fresh diplomatic momentum on repatriation will be the measure of the encounter in the months ahead.

Sources: The Business Standard, GreenWatchBD.