Rohingya repatriation and role of the UN
FOREIGN Minister AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said that the UN agencies would be expelled from the country if they do not support the government’s plan to relocate 100,000 Rohingyas to Bhasan Char, an island in the Bay of Bengal. The FM expressed severe disappointment about the UN’s failure to mount enough pressure on Myanmar to take back the Rohingyas. The Foreign Minister’s statement given to the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle in an exclusive interview has ultimately cleared Bangladesh government’s stance on the issue. There may be no doubt about the UN’s humanitarian support to the most-persecuted Muslims of the world but it was not enough to create an sustainable atmosphere to send back the Rohingyas to their ancestral homes.
The Island Bhasan Char offers economic activities to the refugees. But the aid agencies working in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps don’t want to move to Bhasan Char. In Cox’s Bazar, they stay in five-star hotels and so they don’t want to go to another place. The Minister also said his government will identify the NGOs – local and international — that were politicising the issue and instigating the people. The generosity of Bangladesh by hosting over 1.2 million refugees has been acclaimed by global leaders. But at the present moment, the refugees in a small area, like Ukhiya and Teknaf, have triggered many crises, including unemployment, lack of production, law and order situation, etc.
On the other hand, the government also has failed to mount pressure on Myanmar for starting repatriation meeting the Rohingya’s demands — such as citizenship, ensuring safety and security and punishing the people involved in the Rohingya massacre. Foreign Minister has said the Bhasan Char would be a temporary arrangement for refugees as Bangladesh doesn’t afford to keep them there forever.
We do believe that Bangladesh would be able to find a workable solution to repatriate the Rohingya refugees within shortest possible time. The UN’s role in this regard should be positive.
The Island Bhasan Char offers economic activities to the refugees. But the aid agencies working in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps don’t want to move to Bhasan Char. In Cox’s Bazar, they stay in five-star hotels and so they don’t want to go to another place. The Minister also said his government will identify the NGOs – local and international — that were politicising the issue and instigating the people. The generosity of Bangladesh by hosting over 1.2 million refugees has been acclaimed by global leaders. But at the present moment, the refugees in a small area, like Ukhiya and Teknaf, have triggered many crises, including unemployment, lack of production, law and order situation, etc.
On the other hand, the government also has failed to mount pressure on Myanmar for starting repatriation meeting the Rohingya’s demands — such as citizenship, ensuring safety and security and punishing the people involved in the Rohingya massacre. Foreign Minister has said the Bhasan Char would be a temporary arrangement for refugees as Bangladesh doesn’t afford to keep them there forever.
We do believe that Bangladesh would be able to find a workable solution to repatriate the Rohingya refugees within shortest possible time. The UN’s role in this regard should be positive.
