President Abdul Hamid on Thursday asked France to persuade the international community to mount pressure on Myanmar to take Rohingyas back to their homeland in Rakhine State.

The President came up with the call when outgoing France Ambassador in Dhaka Sophie Aubert met him at Bangabhaban in the afternoon, reports UNB.

President’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin briefed reporters after the meeting.

Noting that Bangladesh is a densely populated country and it has given shelters to Rohingya Muslims on humanitarian ground, Hamid sought cooperation of France in putting pressure on the Myanmar government to bring back Rohingyas flooding over to Bangladesh territory.

Recalling the existing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and France, he said the bilateral trade and investment in both countries will further be increased in the future.

The President congratulated the outgoing French Ambassador on completion of his successful tenure in Bangladesh and expressed his gratitude to France for its contribution to Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971 and subsequently for giving recognition to it as an independent country on February 14, 1972.

He said France is a tested friend of Bangladesh, and the mutual understanding and exchanging visits between the two countries in the last two years deepened the ties.

Hamid said Bangladesh Prime Minister’s visit to the UNESCO General Conference to be held in Paris on October 31, 2107 will take the bilateral relation between Bangladesh and France to a new height.

During the meeting, Sophie Aubert expressed her gratitude to the President for extending all-out support and cooperation during her tenure in Bangladesh.

Secretaries concerned to the President were present.