Spent Rs 120 Cr on Rohingyas but displaced can't live for protracted period: India tells Bangladesh

Bangladesh raised the issue of Rohingyas during the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina, government sources said on Saturday.

India said Bangladesh has undertaken a heroic task to facilitate the displaced, adding that India is doing all it can and also providing socio-economic support to them and has already spent Rs 120 crores in aid to help the displaced.

New Delhi, however, conveyed to Dhaka that there is a need to recognise greater effort to persuade the displaced that it was in their interest to go back as it is not sustainable to live in such conditions for a protracted period.

Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina briefed her Indian counterpart about her government's efforts to persuade the Rohingya refugees.

Sources added that Bangladesh also raised the NRC issue. Government sources said it was pointed out that it is an ongoing process and "we have to see how situation emerges."

The bilateral discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina were good and clear and there was no disagreement, government sources added.

On Friday, while addressing a press conference, Ministry of External Affairs' spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar had said, "On NRC, we have been saying that this is a Supreme Court-mandated process. It is an ongoing exercise. Therefore, from the MEA perspective, there is nothing that I can add at this stage. I think it is important to understand that the due process has to be completed first."

During the meeting between the prime ministers of two countries, three more bilateral projects were inaugurated.

The projects include import LPG from Bangladesh, the inauguration of the Vivekananda Bhavan at Ram Krishna Mission in Dhaka and inauguration of Bangladesh-India professional skill development Institute at the Institute of Engineers in Khulna.