ZCZC
BSS-27
MOMEN-CONSUL-ROHINGYA
Momen urges envoys to engage int’l bodies for Rohingya cause
DHAKA, June 11, 2019 (BSS)- Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has urged all Bangladesh honorary consuls to engage different governments and civil society members of their respective countries to create a safe environment in Rakhine as well as supervising the Rohingya repatriation process.
The foreign minister has sent letter to each honorary consul of different countries working in Bangladesh and abroad in this regard, a foreign ministry press release said here today.
In the letter, the foreign minister said that Bangladesh does not have the capacity to indefinitely host Rohingyas who were forcefully displaced from Myanmar.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had taken courageous step to built makeshift shelter to these helpless Rohingya, considering the humanitarian ground despite having face huge challenges as well as obstacles, Momen said.
He said security and stability of the region may be affected, if Rohingyas who have been deprived from their basic rights for decades remained in this country for longer period.
Momen said Bangladesh has made sincere bilateral efforts with Myanmar including inked three bilateral deals regarding to resolve the crisis through ensuring safe repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
However, he said the start of repatriation remains uncertain due to Myanmar’s unwillingness and failure to create a conducive environment inside its Rakhine state.
Bangladesh expects active role of international community in this regards, the foreign minister wrote in the letter.
Consular Corps in Bangladesh (CCB) President K M Mozibul Hoque told BSS that foreign minister’s appeal to all 52 Honorary Consuls of Bangladesh will inspired them their wishes to contribute for Bangladesh.
“We are delighted to receive such letter as we too are eager to work for any cause for our motherland,” said Mozibul, who is the Honorary Consul General of Yemen.
He said they will sit together and chalk out a plan, how Bangladesh honorary consuls can build an international opinion in favour of the right cause of Rohingyas.
“We will try our level best to conduct a massive global campaign at all international and regional forum for creating a conducive environment inside Rakhine to ensure safe Rohingya repatriation,” CCB chief said.
Currently, Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million forcefully displaced Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar district and most of them arrived here since August 25, 2017 after a military crackdown by Myanmar termed as “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” by the UN.
BSS/ASG/TA/SMM/22010hrs