‘Rohingya crisis a political failure’
“The Rohingya are not stateless people by circumstance; they are stateless by design,” Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman said on Thursday.
He called for a political solution to the protracted crisis and stronger regional efforts to ensure the safe, voluntary and dignified return of more than 1.3 million forcibly displaced Rohingya to Myanmar.
Addressing the 33rd ARF Ministerial Meeting in Manila on Thursday, the foreign minister said the crisis could only be resolved through political means, stressing that Bangladesh had shouldered the humanitarian responsibility of hosting Rohingya refugees for nearly a decade. He urged ARF member states to collectively support efforts to create conditions in Myanmar conducive to the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya to their homeland in Rakhine State.
Highlighting the prolonged burden on Bangladesh, the minister said the continued displacement had fuelled a range of cross border crimes, including drug trafficking, human trafficking and the illicit flow of arms and weapons, posing growing security challenges for the region.
Referring to his forthcoming presidency of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Dr Rahman underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in addressing global and regional challenges. He noted that the international community was facing unprecedented geopolitical tensions and said sustained diplomatic engagement remained the most effective means of resolving disputes.
Calling on all countries to exercise maximum restraint in handling maritime disputes, he urged states to uphold international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and resolve differences through peaceful dialogue.
The foreign minister also reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to a rules based international order and thanked participating countries for supporting Bangladesh’s candidature for the presidency of the 81st UN General Assembly.
On climate related security challenges, Dr Rahman said Bangladesh, one of the most vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, remained committed to strengthening regional cooperation in disaster preparedness and early warning systems.
He said Bangladesh, in its capacity as Co Chair of the ARF Inter Session Meeting on Disaster Relief, would continue to advocate stronger regional resilience under the ARF framework.
Addressing the growing impact of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, the minister highlighted both the opportunities and risks associated with technological advancement.
He called for closer regional cooperation to tackle cyber-security threats, disinformation and the misuse of advanced technologies, proposing the development of a regional technology governance framework tailored to the geopolitical and developmental realities of the Asia Pacific region.
Reaffirming Bangladesh’s commitment to regional cooperation, Dr Rahman said, “Bangladesh will always choose dialogue over division, partnership over polarisation.”
On the sidelines of the forum, the foreign minister held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Singapore, Sri Lanka and Australia, as well as the Vice President of the European Commission.
The meetings, according to the foreign ministry, covered a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues, including trade and investment, tourism, humanitarian assistance and reciprocal support in international forums.
The foreign ministers congratulated Dr Rahman on his election as President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly and assured him of their cooperation during his tenure.
