February 13, 2017
The Malaysian aid ship carrying aid for Rohingyas have reached Bangladeshi waters where it has been warmly received by theBangladesh navy. The circumstances are in marked contrast to the chilly reception awarded by the government of Myanmar amid reports of anti Muslim protest in Yangon.
Earlier there were reports in that the Malaysian ship would,dock in the port city of Chittagong instead of Teknaf where the Rohingyas are based. However the ship looks like it is unloading near Cox’s Bazar which is very close to the refugee populace concentrated in the Teknaf region.
Bangladesh navy has also said they would extend full cooperation to the Malaysian mission and even more if they are asked, according to reports in the local media.
Bangladesh and Malaysia are known to enjoy strong bilateral relations. On the other hand while the neighbouring country has let in tens of thousands of refugees since last year, there have often been criticisms of Bangladesh’s handling of the refugee crisis.
Recently there has been an upsurge of support from Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue but opinion remains sharply divided on the issue of granting them refuge. Many in Bangladesh say despite their best intentions it is impossible to accommodate new arrivals from the neighbouring country with the limited resources of an underdeveloped nation.
