DHAKA, Bangladesh

Bangladeshi Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus expressed his “deep appreciation” Monday to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and first lady Emine Erdogan for their steadfast support to the Rohingya community taking refuge in the South Asian country.

Yunus made the statement during a meeting in the capital Dhaka with a five-member Turkish parliamentary delegation led by Mehmet Akif Yilmaz, who is chairperson of the Türkiye-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Ahead of the meeting with Yunus, the lawmakers visited Rohingya in camps in southeastern Cox's Bazar to observe the humanitarian activities of Turkish institutions and non-governmental organizations, including a Turkish field hospital.

Bangladesh has been hosting about 1.3 million Rohingya since August 2017 in Cox's Bazar district, with most of them fleeing a military crackdown in Myanmar.

“The plight of the Rohingya community remains one of the most tragic humanitarian crises of our time. These people are suffering simply because they are Muslims, and their citizenship has been stripped away,” Yunus said.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and humanitarian initiatives.

“Since assuming this responsibility, I have focused on further deepening our close relationship with Türkiye,” said Yunus, lauding President Erdogan and the first lady for their "continued support and solidarity with Bangladesh, particularly in humanitarian and development cooperation."