DHAKA, Dec 18, 2017 (BSS) – Non-resident envoys of different countries accredited to Bangladesh yesterday extended their support to Bangladesh to ensure rightful return with dignity and security of the Myanmar Nationals who were forcibly displaced from Rakhaine State of Myanmar.
The support came when ambassadors, high commissioners and diplomats of 15 countries concurrently accredited to Bangladesh with residence in New Delhi called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official Ganabhaban residence here last evening.
The envoys are- ambassadors of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia and Ukraine, High Commissioners of Cyprus, Mauritius and Kenya, charg‚ d’affaires of Austria, Czech Republic, Ghana and Second Secretary of New Zealand.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali was also present on the occasion.
The New Delhi-based heads of missions and diplomats shared their experience with the Prime Minister about their experience of visiting Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar saying their (Rohingyas) sufferings are very much painful.
Putting emphasis on consultation to resolve the crisis, they said, Myanmar authorities must take measures so that the Rohingyas can go back to their homeland in Rakhaine State.
They highly appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her gesture and giving shelter to such a huge number of Myanmar nationals on humanitarian grounds in so good and well organised arrangement saying to manage such a large number of displaced people is not so easy, but too tough to organise.
The envoys also observed that the Rohingya crisis is not a problem of Bangladesh, rather it has now become an international problem.
The envoys informed the Prime Minister that they would convey the entire situation to their respective governments.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated her call for putting more international pressure on the Myanmar government to take back its nationals with full security and dignity.
In this connection, she mentioned the bilateral discussion between Dhaka and Naypyidaw and said, Myanmar already signed an agreement with Bangladesh to return their nationals.
Sheikh Hasina also elaborated the process the government initiated for registration of the Rohingyas saying after registration they have been given ID cards to accurately ensure their identity.
The prime minister said the government has taken steps to build temporary shelter for the Rohingyas so that they could stay more comfortably there.
She also expressed her gratitude to the international community for their support to Bangladesh on the issue.
At the meeting, the premier also mentioned her younger sister’s and her own refugee life after assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975 and said so they can feel the pain of being refuge.
Sheikh Hasina highlighted her government’s initiative to resolve the conflict in Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) after coming to power in 1996. She said her government has signed peace treaty to resolve the insurgency and rehabilitated all people who took refuge to India.
Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim were present on the occasion.