Newly elected Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed has assured Bangladesh of the organisation’s support for the speedy repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland.

He gave the assurance when Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the OIC, Ambassador MJH Jabed, called on him on Wednesday and handed over a letter of felicitation from Foreign Minister and President of the 81st UN General Assembly Khalilur Rahman, said a press release.

Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the protracted Rohingya crisis could jeopardise regional security and cause immense suffering if it was not properly addressed.

During the meeting, Jabed conveyed the foreign minister’s greetings to the new OIC secretary general and expressed the Bangladesh government’s full support for him in discharging his responsibilities.

The secretary general praised Bangladesh’s democratic transition and expressed optimism that the country’s development would gain new momentum under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the release said.

He also highlighted the contribution of the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), an OIC subsidiary organ hosted by Bangladesh, to promoting science and technology education in OIC member states.

He assured that new initiatives would be taken to expand IUT’s research and innovation capacity, particularly in artificial intelligence, and said Bangladesh was among the priority countries on his list to visit.

The two sides agreed that OIC member states could complement each other through various programmes and activities by leveraging their diverse resources.

They discussed potential cooperation in contract farming, healthcare, science and technology, hospitality, education and other productive sectors to implement mutually beneficial projects.

Jabed thanked the secretary general for his positive outlook on Bangladesh and its people and leadership, saying Bangladesh looked forward to working closely with the OIC Secretariat on cross-cutting issues in the coming years.