DHAKA: The Australian government has signed an agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to provide 16 million Australian dollars (approximately BDT 1.37 billion) to improve the living standards of the Rohingya and local communities.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday (June 24) at the Home Ministry’s conference room in the presence of Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. The accord was signed by the Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Susan Walke, and UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh, Rana Flowers.
Speaking on the occasion, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed expressed his gratitude to the Australian government for its cooperation. He stated, “I am very pleased to be present at the agreement signing ceremony between the Australian government and UNICEF as part of the humanitarian assistance program for the Rohingya and local communities”. The Minister also expressed hope that such international support would continue until the safe, dignified, and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar is achieved.
Senior officials from the Home Ministry, the Australian High Commission, and UNICEF Bangladesh were present at the signing ceremony.
It is noteworthy that this funding is part of Australia’s broader humanitarian assistance package of 370 million Australian dollars (BDT 3.162 billion) for the period of 2026 to 2028, aimed at supporting Rohingyas and local communities in both Myanmar and Bangladesh. Since 2017, Australia has provided a total of 1.26 billion Australian dollars (BDT 10.77 billion) in humanitarian aid to address this regional crisis. The newly pledged 16 million dollars will be utilized by UNICEF for education, nutrition, child protection, as well as safe water, sanitation, and hygiene sectors for the Rohingya and local populations.
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