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Bhasanchar is global example on dealing refugees: UNGA President
DHAKA, May 25, 2021 (BSS) – Visiting United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Volkan Bozker today highly lauded the facilities made in Bhasanchar for the persecuted Rohingyas and said Bangladesh made an example to the world over dealing displaced people.
“This (Bhasanchar) will be another example to the world how to deal with refugees,” he said in a joint press briefing with foreign minister Dr AK Abndul Momen at the Foreign Service Academy here.
The UNGA President acknowledged that high-level work has been done by the Bangladesh government at Bhasanchar in creating adequate facilities and ensuring safety of relocated Rohingyas.
“I will mention it (about high-level work at Bhasanchar) everywhere,” he said.
Bozker will visit Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar district to meet the Rohingyas on Wednesday. “I will give message to Myanmar (regarding Rohingya crisis) from Cox’s Bazar (tomorrow),” he said.
Earlier, the UN technical team gave a positive report regarding facilities at Bhashanchar after visiting the island in the Bay of Bengal where Bangladesh is relocating a faction of persecuted Rohingyas.
Bangladesh Navy has implemented the Ashryan-3 at Bhashanchar at a cost of Taka 3100 crore for accommodating 100,000 Rohingyas as some 750,000 Rohingyas fled a military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017 and took shelter in Teknaf and Ukhia.
The government has been urging the UN and other international aid agencies to begin its operations in Bhasanchar but the UN has always maintained that their involvement in the island would depend upon the physical inspection.
Before joint the briefing, the UNGA president and the foreign minister held a meeting and discussed wide ranges of issues including Rohingya crisis, peace keeping mission, pandemic, climate change, culture of peace and Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, migration and Palestine issue.
At the briefing, Bozker said Bangladesh’s role in the UN peacekeeping operations is very much appreciated.
Terming Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a real leader in climate issue, he highly praised Bangladesh’s economic advancement and its graduation from LDC to a developing one.
“Bangladesh is the one that should be pointed as an example (for its economic success),” he said.
Foreign Minister Momen said they had fruitful discussions on SDG 17 and vaccination of Bangladesh UN peacekeepers.
He said the UNGA President has assured to provide assistance to Bangladesh in arranging the global conference on culture of peace this year.
The UNGA President arrived here early morning on Tuesday on a brief visit while he was received by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
In the morning, Bozker called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganobhaban and also paid rich tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wrath at Bangabandhu’s portrait at Dhanmondi 32.
In the afternoon, the UNGA President delivered a speech with focus on global crises and emergencies and reflected on the state of multilateralism and the United Nations system at the Foreign Service Academy.
The UNGA president is scheduled to observe the vital work undertaken by the UN Resident Coordinator and the UNHCR Representative at Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday.
BSS/ASG/TA/GA/1623 hrs