Pope thanks Prime Minister of Bangladesh for reception of Rohingya refugees

Pope Francis has received in audience the Prime Minister of Bangladesh whom he thanked for the nation’s reception of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

The meeting on Monday morning between the Pope and Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh took place in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace.

A statement released by the Holy See Press Office described the discussions between the two leaders as cordial, and said the two leaders evoked the good bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction for the Pope’s recent apostolic journey to Bangladesh and for “the keen participation in the event on the part of the population including many non-Catholics”.

The statement revealed that the Pope and Hasina also focused their attention on the contribution of the Catholic Church in the country, “especially in the field of education.”

It said that Francis acknowledged the effort of the State of Bangladesh in promoting the peaceful coexistence of the various religious communities in the nation.

Most of all, he voiced appreciation for the government’s welcome of  Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and he expressed hope for “a just and lasting solution to their ordeal”.