President Mohammed Shahabuddin joined the opening session of the 43rd Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the Plenary Hall of Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) on Tuesday. The three-day summit is being held on September 5-7 as Indonesian President Joko Widodo is chairing it. BSS Reports. Bangladesh President Shahabuddin along with his wife Dr Rebecca Sultana reached the summit venue at about 9:50 am (local time). On arrival, they were welcomed by the ASEAN chair and the Indonesian President after a formal state reception. The Indonesian President along with his wife Iriana Joko Widodo also took part in a photo session with the Bangladesh President and his spouse. Chairperson of Bangladesh National Advisory Committee on Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Saima Wazed and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen are also accompanying the President at the opening ceremony. Along with 10 organizational leaders from ASEAN countries, several heads of the state and the government and leaders of partner countries are participating in the opening session of the summit. Host country Indonesia invited as many as 27 world leaders and concerned personalities of international bodies like executive directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank for the summit, said ASEAN secretary general. The ASEAN summit will feature the issue of development and strengthening of the organisation's cooperation with external partners, several important themes such as the Code of Conduct regarding the South China Sea, the South East Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ), the ASEAN Maritime Outlook, the ASEAN Outlook in Indo Pacific (AOIP), and issues related to Myanmar. It is also expected that the summit will also witness several important agreements related to ASEAN infrastructure strengthening, food security, blue economy, green economy, digital economy and payment ecosystem, according to ASEAN secretariat. On the sidelines of the summit, the Bangladesh President will join the 18th "East Asia Summit (EAS)", where he will deliver his speech in its concluding session. 10 ASEAN countries and the United States, the Russian Federation, New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, and India will join the East Asia Summit. According to programme schedule, the Head of the State will have separate bilateral meetings with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo, Secretary General of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Dr Salman Al Farisi and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on September 7. The ASEAN summit is a biannual meeting as it serves as a prominent regional (Asia) and international (worldwide) conference, with world leaders attending its related summits and meetings to discuss various problems and global issues.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin today left here for Indonesian capital Jakarta to attend the 43rd 'ASEAN Summit' and 18th 'East Asia Summit' to be held on September 5-7. A commercial flight (BG-584) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd. carrying the President along with his spouse Dr Rebecca Sultana and other entourage members, left Hazrat Shahjalal (R.) International Airport (HSIA)  for Jakarta at 8:30 am. Repots BSS. Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, dean of the diplomatic corps, cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services, inspector general of police (IGP) and senior civil and military officials saw him off at the airport. The aircraft will reach Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta, at 1730 (local time) after one hour and 50 minutes stopover at Changi International Airport, Singapore. Earlier, the aircraft will take three hours and 15 minutes to land at Changi International Airport, Singapore from HSIA. Later, the Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight after  declaring it VVIP (BG 1910) will fly for Indonesian capital Jakarta.  At the invitation of President of the Republic of Indonesia and ASEAN Chair for 2023 Joko Widodo, the Bangabhaban spokesman said the President will attend the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit and the East Asia Summit at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC). With the theme of "Asean Matters: Epicentrum of Growth", the ASEAN Summit will be held with a hectic agenda for three days. He, on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, will also attend the 'East Asia Summit' slated for September 7. The President will deliver the concluding speech on "Strengthening Regional Architecture to Support the Epicentrum of Growth from the Perspective of IORA" as the "Guest of Chair" there. He will also have separate bilateral meetings with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo and state leaders of Thailand, Malaysia and Timor-Leste. On September 6, the President will attend a 'Gala Dinner' to be hosted by the Indonesian president at Hutan Kota Gelora Bung Karno. After wrapping up his Indonesia tour, the Head of State along with his spouse will go to Singapore for health check up on September 8. The President is expected to return home on September 16.

It is indeed my great pleasure to be a part of this joyous occasion celebrating the 56th ASEAN DAY. Today, we come together to celebrate the spirit of ASEAN and the shared vision of regional cooperation that unites us all. On behalf of the government and people of Bangladesh, I extend my warmest greetings and felicitations to all ASEAN member states, their peoples, and those who are present here. I thank the ASEAN Dhaka Committee for inviting me to this event.  August is a month of mourning and sadness for Bangladesh. It is stained eternally with the martyred blood of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who along with 18 of his close kinsmen were brutally assassinated by some derailed miscreants. I take this opportunity to pay my deep homage and regards to the heavenly souls of Bangabandhu and his beloved family members and seek further divine blessings upon them and two surviving daughters. ASEAN represents a region of great diversity, rich culture, and profound historical significance. It has been a beacon of regional cooperation, fostering peace, stability, and economic progress for more than five decades. Bangladesh highly values the ASEAN community and the constructive role it plays in the global arena. As we gather here, we are reminded of the importance of unity and solidarity in the face of global challenges. The past years have shown us the importance of international collaboration to address issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and economic recovery. In this context, Bangladesh reaffirms its commitment to work hand in hand with ASEAN member states to achieve our shared goals. The foundation of ASEAN's success lies in its adherence to the principles of mutual respect, non-interference, and consensus-building. These values resonate with Bangladesh, as they align with our own principles of peaceful coexistence and respectful engagement with the international community. Today, I wish to emphasize the immense potential for cooperation between Bangladesh and ASEAN. We recognize the importance of strengthening ties in trade, investment, technology, and human capital development.  The collective market of ASEAN holds significant promise for Bangladesh's economic growth, and we are eager to explore opportunities for increased collaboration in sectors such as textiles, pharmaceuticals, information technology, agriculture, blue economy and renewable energy. Another area of mutual interest is the promotion of peace and stability in the region. We commend ASEAN's commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means and inclusive dialogue. Bangladesh firmly believes that peaceful resolution of conflicts is the key to fostering greater understanding and cooperation between nations. Our peace-centric foreign policy, centered on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu’s dictum ‘Friendship to all, malice toward none’ inspires us to promote the principle of non-alignment since our independence. This is been aptly reflected in Bangladesh’s recently announced “Indo-Pacific Outlook’.  Bangladesh is willing to become a Sectorial Dialogue Partner (SDP) of ASEAN to deepen its relations with the ASEAN Member States and their people. With about 170 million people, a more than 465 billion USD economy, and being recognized as one of the most vibrant and resilient Development Role Model of the world over a decade, the presence of Bangladesh in the ASEAN is expected to forge synergistic partnerships towards mutual benefits.   We note with appreciation that ASEAN is home to a total of 661 million people with gross domestic product (GDP) of US$ 3.08 trillion and trade exceeding US$ 2.7 trillion. I resonated this vast potentials and sentiments that lie between ASEAN and Bangladesh during my interactions with the ASEAN leaders and ASEAN Secretary-General drawing their appreciation while attending the recently held 30th ASEAN Regional Forum in Jakarta.  As we celebrate ASEAN Day, let us renew our determination and redouble our collective efforts to build bridges of understanding and cooperation, fostering an environment where peace and progress can thrive. Together, we can create a brighter and more prosperous future for our people and the generations to come.

ASEAN chair Indonesia has called for immediate action and an end to violence in Myanmar. The death toll remains unclear, but reports suggest over 100 people may have been killed. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) issued a statement Thursday strongly condemning the recent air strikes in Myanmar, which have resulted in dozens of reported deaths, including civilians. The attack on Tuesday morning targeted the remote Kanbalu township in Myanmar's central Sagaing region. The official death toll from the strike remains unclear, though at least 100 deaths have been estimated by several sources, the AFP news agency reported. What ASEAN said in its statement Current ASEAN chair Indonesia released the statement, calling for an end to all forms of violence and stressing the need for immediate action to create dialogue and find a sustainable peaceful solution in Myanmar. "All forms of violence must end immediately, particularly the use of force against civilians. This would be the only way to create a conducive environment for an inclusive national dialogue to find a sustainable peaceful solution in Myanmar," Indonesia said in the statement. Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, is serving as the 2023 chair of ASEAN and will host the 10-member bloc's annual leaders' meetings in May and September. The country has been working to implement a five-point consensus agreed upon with the Myanmar junta in April 2021, which calls for an end to violence and dialogue between the military and rebels. A junta spokesperson confirmed the attack, saying they targeted a ceremony held by the National Unity Government (NUG) for their armed People's Defence Force and added that the attack aimed to restore peace and stability in the region. The junta has declared the NUG a terrorist organization. Strikes draw international criticism The strike drew swift condemnation from the United Nations and Western powers. UN rights chief Volker Turk expressed horror at the deadly attack. A villager from the area reported that it was difficult to identify the dead because they had been dismembered. Indonesia's plan has been largely ignored by the junta, and attempts by ASEAN countries to mediate have so far failed. Indonesia earlier this year announced plans to set up a special envoy's office under the foreign ministry to establish a low-level dialogue with the junta, but no details have emerged of such talks. The junta remains an ASEAN member but has been barred from top-level summits over its failure to implement the peace plan. Following the coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in 2021, a military crackdown on dissent and armed groups opposed to their rule has left more than 3,200 people dead, according to a local monitoring group.

The striking story of India's economic resilience and success has inspired confidence and awe across the world, including among countries in Southeast Asia. Once famous for being the economic tigers of Asia, today the members of ASEAN are appreciating India's march toward becoming a US$5 trillion economy and a leading power on the global platform. It comes as little surprise then that ASEAN and its member states are seeking to forge closer ties with India across a spectrum of concerns, including economic cooperation and strategic association. The ongoing geopolitical turmoil because of the Russia-Ukraine war and the rivalry between the United States and China closer home has further reinforced the need for a greater alignment between the interests of India and ASEAN. Among other things, their common desire for free and fair trade practices, greater physical and digital connectivity between its citizens, and an increasing emphasis on sustainability to combat climate change signal the expanding remit of cooperation between the South Asian powerhouse and its Southeast Asian counterparts. The coming years will only witness further deepening and strengthening of their ties, especially as both India and ASEAN push forth for the realization of a more peaceful and equitable, multi-polar world order by overcoming critical but surmountable challenges as strategic partners. The ties between India and ASEAN stretch back over three decades when the former engaged with the Southeast Asian regional organization as a “sectoral dialogue partner” in 1992. Thereafter, the gradual progression in their ties, particularly in the backdrop of India’s fast-paced economic growth and its increasing geopolitical weight, helped the bilateral partners broach newer and different areas of engagement, including in the maritime domain where India and ASEAN have sought to establish a collective security architecture to promote a rule-based maritime order. Today, India is counted among ASEAN’s key strategic partners, signaling the growing convergence in their strategic and economic interests, which are further bolstered by their cultural and civilizational linkages. In fact, reiterating the historical moorings of their contemporary ties, a joint statement by India and ASEAN on the outlook for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean region noted that the strength of their continuing cooperation was primed by their age-old ties. Maintaining a Janus-like relationship, it is, then, not hard to see that India and ASEAN will continue to leverage their friendly association of the past for their collective benefit in the future, particularly as they seek economic growth and strategic security for their people. With multi-faceted cooperation in its mind, India took strides in transitioning from its economy-centric policy of “Look East” to a more proactive stance under the banner of “Act East” in 2014. Under the leadership of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India began to chart a more strategically robust journey vis-a-vis the countries to its East, including ASEAN and its respective member states, supplementing its ongoing cooperation with the Southeast Asian nations in economic and cultural domains. It is important to note that India’s evolved foreign policy stance towards its extended neighborhood in the Southeast and beyond stemmed from its own geo-economic and geopolitical story of growth, which helped India to claim a spot for itself as a responsible rising power in the prevailing global order. Furthermore, the shifts in India’s approach coincided with ASEAN’s growing need for stronger ties with like-minded democratic economies to rise up to the current and future challenges. In the last decade, faced with similar challenges, India and ASEAN have found newer terrains of cooperation to explore, going beyond their traditional areas of engagement. Needless to say, their strong track record of bilateral cordiality and supportive diplomatic outreach, along with friendly people-to-people ties, helped them prime one another as credible economic and strategic partners. Attesting to that, a recent survey by the Yusof Ishak House indicated an elevated status for India as a country that the Southeast Asian nations were likely to align with in hedging against the uncertainties posed by the intensifying US-China rivalry. It is instructive to note that India was counted as a dependable strategic partner just after the European Union and Japan, indicating both India’s growing might in the geopolitical order as well as its credentials as a reliable bilateral partner. In the index of perception of trust, India climbed up from the last spot in 2022 to the third spot in 2023, with 9 out of 10 ASEAN member-states increasing their approval ratings for India as one of the most preferred and trusted strategic partners that they would “seek out” in the event of US-China rivalry spins out of hands. India’s catapulting rise in status among the ASEAN nations is not surprising at all. Against the backdrop of growing geopolitical rivalries, including those between the US and Russia over the war in Ukraine, India’s unchanging stance of neutrality has helped project both confidence and responsibility onto the global platform. India’s unequivocal commitment toward peace was recently reflected when on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in 2022, the Indian PM advocated for “democracy, diplomacy and dialogue” to settle the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Similarly, India’s confident demonstration of strategic autonomy, particularly on the matter of energy imports for Russia amid American disapproval, has sent out a strong message about India’s position in the geopolitical equations as a country that cannot be pushed over. Factors like these have been attributed to the substantial jump in India’s ratings - from 5.1 percent in 2022 to 11.3 percent in 2023 - among its ASEAN partners. Against the backdrop of a volatile geopolitical order and a looming economic recession are likely to prompt even closer cooperation between India and ASEAN. Besides tiding over these concerns, India and ASEAN must continue to build on their economic, strategic and cultural partnerships to make fuller use of the potential that their ties hold. From building smart cities to combating climate change to promoting the ethos of democracy and equanimity, much can be done by India and ASEAN to transform their age-old ties into a shining example of contemporary inter-regional camaraderie.

Indonesia is resolved that the ASEAN meeting will focus on contributing to Southeast Asia's economic stability and growth. Analysts warn it won't be easy as the political situation in Myanmar threatens to derail talks. Foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are meeting in the Indonesian capital on Friday for an annual get-together — the agenda of which has been overshadowed by the  deteriorating situation in Myanmar. The ministers are meant to focus on food, energy security and cooperation in finance and health. However, analysts expect the military takeover in Myanmar will dominate discussions despite the host country's resolve to not let the issue hold the bloc "hostage." "The issue of Myanmar will not be allowed to hold hostage the process of strengthening the ASEAN community development,'' Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi had said last month.  Myanmar's ASEAN absence Myanmar is one of the 10 ASEAN countries, but its foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, is not in attendance. The exclusion resulted from Myanmar's lack of cooperation on the five-step agreement between ASEAN and Myanmar Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.   The deal called for Myanmar to allow a special ASEAN envoy to meet the imprisoned former leader Aung San Suu Kyi to promote dialogue. Myanmar's lack of cooperation also led to its exclusion from the November 2022 ASEAN meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, after an ASEAN representative was not allowed to meet the former leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.  Indonesia's Marsudi, last month, had said she was disappointed by the lack of progress in Myanmar's political situation despite global pressure, threat of sanctions and political exclusion.  Attempt to focus Kicking off the nation's hosting duties late last month, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said the ASEAN bloc will continue its work on economic growth and stability in the region. "Economic crisis, energy crisis, food crisis as well as warfare, we face all of them this year,'' Widodo had said. "ASEAN will remain essential and relevant for people in the region and beyond as ASEAN is the epicenter of growth.''

Union Defense Minister, who is in Cambodia to attend the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meet (ADMM) Plus, said on Tuesday that India is committed to the implementation of various initiatives to offer its capacities and experience for strengthening India-ASEAN defense relations. "India is committed to the implementation of various initiatives and continues to offer its capacities and experience for strengthening the India-ASEAN defense relations," the defense minister tweeted. Singh is on an official visit to Cambodia on November 22-23 at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Cambodia Samdech Pichey Sena TEA Banh. Cambodia, as the current chair of ASEAN, is hosting the (ADMM Plus) meeting this year. United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin took to his Twitter handle and said that India-US continue to make strides in strengthening the defense ties with each other as both countries share a common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. "Great meeting with my friend @rajnathsingh at the ADMM-Plus today. We're continuing to make strides in enhancing our defense cooperation as we advance our shared vision for a #FreeandOpenIndoPacific," Austin tweeted. Notably, the maiden India-ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting was held today at Siem Reap, Cambodia to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of India-ASEAN relations in 2022, which has also been designated as 'ASEAN-India Friendship Year'. India and ASEAN have a longstanding, strong, and comprehensive strategic partnership. India places a high priority on its interaction with ASEAN multilateral platforms like ADMM-Plus and the East Asia Summit. India became the dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992 and the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi, Vietnam on October 12, 2010. Since 2017, the ADMM-Plus Ministers have been meeting annually to further the dialogue and cooperation between ASEAN and the Plus countries. India and ASEAN elevated their relationship to a 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' in November 2022. Moreover, Rajnath Singh also met his Australian counterpart and held bilateral discussions. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Rajnath Singh said, "Insightful deliberations with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Mr. @RichardMarlesMP on boosting defence ties and deepening cooperation between India & Australia in Siem Reap, Cambodia today." Sharing details regarding his meeting with Rajnath Singh, Richard Marles in a tweet said that they discussed shared ambitions for future cooperation between the two nations and reviewed the growth of the defence partnership in 2022. Richard Marles tweeted, "Great to see @rajnathsingh today to reflect on the significant growth of our defence partnership in 2022 and discuss our shared ambitions for future cooperation. Australia and India are great friends and we share an interest in an open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific."   Source: ANI

Myanmar’s military junta has not sent a representative to a special meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers to discuss the political crisis in the country. Foreign ministers of Southeast Asian nations met in Jakarta on Thursday to discuss how to start a stalled peace process in crisis-hit Myanmar. In recent weeks, Myanmar has seen some of the deadliest incidents since the military coup in February 2021. The meeting is taking place in the Indonesian capital without a representative of Myanmar's military junta and comes ahead of next month's  Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders' summit. What is ASEAN hoping to achieve for Myanmar? ASEAN has said that it is "gravely concerned" over the rising human rights abuses in Myanmar, but its attempts to resolve the crisis are yet to yield results. A five-point ASEAN plan from April 2021 would be one of the key focuses of Thursday's emergency meeting, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has said. The five points include: an immediate cessation of violence; dialogue among all concerned parties;  the appointment of an ASEAN special envoy for mediation; increased aid;  and a visit by the special envoy to Myanmar to meet all stakeholders. The 10-country bloc's peace effort is the only official diplomatic process on the table. However, with the junta not willing to put the plan into practice, the process has so far been a failure. The United Nations has supported the ASEAN plan but international patience is fraying amid suspicions that generals in Myanmar are paying lip service in order to buy time to consolidate power and suppress opponents ahead of an election in 2023. With the ASEAN summit due in November, the bloc may need to come up with a new strategy ahead of the annual meeting, if it wants to remain credible as a mediator. What is the situation in Myanmar? According to a local monitoring group, over 2,300 people have been killed in the military's brutal clampdown on dissent since the coup. Violence has escalated in recent weeks. Incidents include the bombing of the country's largest prison and an air strike in Kachin State on Sunday which, as per local media reports, left at least 50 people dead. Myanmar's generals have been barred from several high-level ASEAN meetings since the seizure of power.  

Myanmar's junta chief will be excluded from an upcoming ASEAN summit, the group said Saturday, a rare rebuke as concerns rise over the military government's commitment to defusing a bloody crisis.   Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed at an emergency meeting late Friday that a "non-political representative" for  Myanmar be invited to the October 26-28 summit, current ASEAN chair Brunei said in a statement.   The decision effectively excluded junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.   The bloc, widely criticised as a toothless organisation, took a strong stand after the junta rebuffed requests for a special envoy to meet with all parties concerned -- a phrase seen to include ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.   The statement noted "insufficient progress" in the implementation of a five-point plan agreed by ASEAN leaders in April to end turmoil following a coup in February.   It also said that the situation in Myanmar "was having an impact on regional security as well as the unity, credibility and centrality of ASEAN".   Richard Horsey, Myanmar adviser to Crisis Group, predicted the "non-political" representative would be someone below the level of minister or deputy minister.   Singapore's foreign ministry described the move as a "difficult but necessary decision to uphold ASEAN's credibility".   Mustafa Izzuddin, global affairs analyst at consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore, called the exclusion "a political stopgap measure for ASEAN to assuage international criticism".   It sent a "political signal" to the junta "that ASEAN is not one to be pushed around", Izzuddin added.   And independent Myanmar analyst David Mathieson said that "in ASEAN terms this is a real slap in the face".   - Thorn in ASEAN's side -   Myanmar, mostly ruled by the military since a 1962 coup, has been a thorn in ASEAN's side since it joined in 1997.   Elections in 2015 overwhelmingly won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party ushered in the start of civilian rule -- but this was cut short by the coup.   ASEAN has been under international pressure to address unrest that erupted after the putsch, including massive protests; renewed clashes between the military and ethnic rebel armies in border regions; and an economy spiralling into freefall.   The bloc has expressed disappointment at a lack of cooperation from the junta, which continues to crack down brutally on dissent. More than 1,000  civilians have been killed, according to a local monitoring group.   Part of the consensus was to allow a long-delayed visit by a special envoy, Brunei's Second Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof.   ASEAN has insisted that he meets with all parties concerned, but the junta rejected any proposed meetings with people on trial, among them Suu Kyi, who  is facing various charges.   A senior US administration official, commenting on media reports about the exclusion before the official statement was released, said "it seems perfectly appropriate and, in fact, completely justified... for ASEAN to downgrade Burma's participation", using Myanmar's former name.   Member nations had already voiced their disappointment at the path the junta has chosen.   "If there is no real progress then Malaysia's stance will remain: that we will not want the general to be attending the summit. No compromise on that," Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said Friday ahead of the meeting.   Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in a tweet after the meeting that her country had proposed that Myanmar "should not be represented at the  political level" at the summit until it restores "its democracy through an inclusive process".   Aung Myo Min, the human rights minister of a shadow government of ousted Myanmar lawmakers called the NUG, praised the exclusion as "a very strong  action" and voiced hope ASEAN would recognise the NUG as Myanmar's legitimate government.   Political activist Minn Khant Kyaw Linn, 23, who organised a protest in Mandalay where the ASEAN flag was burnt in June, said it was time for the  bloc to allow NUG representatives to its meetings.   The junta -- officially known as the State Administration Council -- has promised to hold elections and lift a state of emergency by August 2023. Source: AFP/BSS AH

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday assured Dhaka that Kuala Lumpur and other Asean member states will do whatever necessary for resolving the Rohingya crisis which is hurting Bangladesh a lot. “Malaysia and Asean counties will do whatever necessary (to solve Rohingya crisis),” he said. Mahathir said this during a meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina at the bilateral booth of Baku Congress Center where the NAM Summit is taking place. Briefing reporters, Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque said Mahathir strongly feels that there was a genocide committed on Rohingyas and this should be brought to book. He strongly condemned the oppression on the Rohingyas in Myanmar and said that Malaysian field hospital in Cox's Bazar will be continued. He requested Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to inform him about Bhashanchar where Bangladesh has prepared shelter for the Rohibgyas temporarily. Sheikh Hasina told him about the security and other related issues for the Rohingyas in Bashanchar as well as the present condition of Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar. Mahathir also talked about the safety and security of the Bangladeshi expatriates living in Malaysia and said that his government would try to take more manpower from Bangladesh. He also mentioned that Malaysian investment in Bangladesh will be increased as the relations between the two countries are deeply rooted. Source: UNB AH