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is vital to creating stability, and we are making efforts towards this end.”

He added that preparations are at a final stage so that safe and sustainable repatriation can begin once conditions are favourable. While no specific timeframe can be given, the government’s goal is permanent, safe, and voluntary repatriation of Rohingya Muslims, taking the right steps at the right time.

The minister said the Awami League government sought donor funds by highlighting the humanitarian disaster instead of resolving the crisis. He said this approach diverted global attention from the plight of the Rohingyas and made the crisis more complex and prolonged.

To bring the issue to international attention, the interim government invited UN Secretary-General António Guterres to Bangladesh in 2025, when he visited Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar. On August 25, 2025, a special stakeholder conference was held in Cox’s Bazar, followed by a daylong conference at UN Headquarters in New York on September 30 that year, which helped place the Rohingya crisis at the centre of global humanitarian debate.

Khalilur said Bangladesh has emphasised justice and accountability in resolving the crisis, and has supported The Gambia’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Verification of Rohingya identities is ongoing as the basis for repatriation. Bangladesh has sent data on 8,29,036 Rohingyas to Myanmar in six phases; Myanmar has verified 3,93,503 and officially recognised 2,83,086 as “the person who lived in Myanmar previously”.

The government is also exploring third-country resettlement, though the foreign minister stressed this is not a permanent solution. “The only lasting solution is the safe, voluntary, and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas to Rakhine state,” he said.

On the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between the United States and Bangladesh, Khalilur said yesterday the pact is expected to boost foreign investment, strengthen energy security, and enhance Bangladesh’s position in global supply chains.

The deal was signed on February 9 this year, just three days before the national election.

The minister, in a scripted response to a query from AKM Fazlul Haque Milon in parliament, said that under the agreement Bangladeshi apparel made with US cotton would enjoy zero-tariff access.

Khalilur said that expanding export markets, diversifying exports, attracting international investment, and achieving employment-oriented economic growth are among the government’s top priorities.

To this end, the foreign ministry, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, and the commerce ministry are working in coordination to advance economic diplomacy.

He added that alongside traditional markets in Europe and America, Bangladesh has strengthened its commercial presence in emerging markets across the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, South America, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.

To secure market expansion and tariff benefits, Bangladesh is pursuing Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs), Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) with various countries. Talks on a CEPA with the United Arab Emirates have begun, while negotiations for FTAs with Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand are progressing.

The minister noted that diplomatic initiatives are opening new opportunities in agriculture and non-traditional export sectors. Recently, Bangladesh gained the opportunity to export potatoes to Vietnam, while work is ongoing to export mangoes to Malaysia.