Régis Savioz, Regional Director for Asia Pacific of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), met Shama Obaed Islam, MP, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh at her office this morning.
During the meeting, the State Minister appreciated the ICRC’s longstanding humanitarian engagement in Bangladesh. She briefed him on the Government’s people-centric and humanitarian approach to social protection, highlighting the potential impact of the Family Card and Farmer Card initiatives.
The State Minister drew attention to the growing incidence of digital harassment, particularly against women, and sought the ICRC’s cooperation in addressing emerging digital threats and their humanitarian consequences. She also proposed exploring the possibility of hosting an ICRC regional meeting on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in Dhaka.
State Minister Shama Obaed recalled the atrocities committed against the Rohingyas and their mass exodus from Rakhine State, noting that today marks the 9th anniversary of those tragic events. She appreciated the ICRC’s continued support for the Rohingyas and sought its sustained humanitarian engagement. She urged the ICRC to strengthen its advocacy for the early repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.
Regional Director Savioz commended Bangladesh’s continued cooperation with the ICRC and acknowledged its constructive contribution to the global IHL agenda, including as a Co-Chair of the “IHL and Peace” Workstream. He expressed the ICRC’s willingness to expand cooperation in IHL dissemination, capacity building, humanitarian response and other areas of mutual interest.