During a discussion in the city on Sunday, speakers emphasized the importance of increasing international and regional pressure on Myanmar to ensure the civil rights of displaced Rohingyas from Bangladesh.
The presence of over 1.1 million Rohingya people in Cox’s Bazar has raised concerns among some. They point out that the number of forcibly displaced people in the district is greater than the local community, which could potentially impact the livelihoods of the locals.
An organization of journalists representing international media in Dhaka, the Overseas Correspondents Association Bangladesh, recently held a discussion at the National Press Club. The event, titled ‘Rohingya Crisis: The Future Road Ahead’, marked the organization’s 45th founding anniversary.
According to foreign minister Hasan Hahmud, there are concerns about the impact of Rohingya people engaging in fishing and working as farm labourers on the local community’s livelihoods.
According to him, in the current circumstances, Bangladesh is unable to repatriate them to Rakhine state. This is because there has been an influx of Myanmar security forces, including Border Police, seeking refuge in Bangladesh due to intense clashes with rebel groups.
According to him, involving regional powers such as China and India could potentially contribute to resolving the crisis.
The crisis can only be resolved by repatriating the Rohingya to their homeland and ensuring they have full civic rights. The minister expressed optimism about initiating the process once the situation in Myanmar stabilizes. They emphasized the government’s commitment to pursuing diplomatic negotiations for the repatriation of the Rohingya.
Regarding the resettlement of a small number of displaced Rohingya from Bangladesh to another country, it has been stated that relocating them to a developed country would be counterproductive, as it may encourage more Rohingya to seek refuge.
According to Md Shahriar Alam, the former state minister for foreign affairs, there have been multiple attempts to repatriate the Rohingya, but unfortunately, none have been successful thus far.
Dhaka University international relations professor Delwar Hossain attributed the ongoing Rohingya crisis to the lack of international pressure on the Myanmar junta regime, which is currently facing an escalating civil war.
He cautioned against engaging in any form of provocation, emphasizing the need to remain impartial in the internal conflict in Myanmar.
The crisis should be addressed at its point of origin, according to Md Touhidul Islam, an associate professor of peace and conflict studies at DU.
Appealing to everyone involved to approach the matter with compassion, he noted that there has been notable advancement in the Rohingya negotiation process, despite the fact that repatriation has not yet commenced.
During his keynote speech, former OCAB president Farid Hossain emphasized that the situation at hand was a result of actions taken by Myanmar, and therefore it is their responsibility to address and resolve it.
However, according to the senior journalist, the situation in the military-ruled neighboring country is not providing any signs of improvement.
The discussion meeting was chaired by OCAB president Nazrul Islam, and the welcome speech was delivered by its general secretary, Julhas Alam.
