Speakers, including policymakers, journalists, and academics, at a discussion in the city on Sunday, stressed the need for creating more international and regional pressure on Myanmar to take back displaced Rohingyas from Bangladesh by ensuring their civil rights.
Expressing concern over the presence of more than 1.1 million Rohingya people in Cox鈥檚 Bazar, they said that the number of forcibly displaced people sheltered in the district outnumbered the host community, posing a threat to the livelihoods of the local people.
The Overseas Correspondents Association Bangladesh, an organisation of journalists representing international media in Dhaka, organised the discussion on 鈥楻ohingya Crisis: The Future Road Ahead鈥� at the National Press Club, marking its 45th founding anniversary.
鈥楻ohingya people are taking jobs of the local community as they are getting engaged in fishing and also working as farm labourers, threatening the livelihoods of the local people,鈥� said foreign minister Hasan Hahmud while addressing the event as chief guest.
He said that Bangladesh could not push them back to Rakhine state in the present situation as members of Myanmar security forces, including its Border Police, were fleeing to Bangladesh recently amid fierce fighting with various rebel groups.
He said that the engagement of regional powers like China and India could help find a solution to the crisis.
鈥楻epatriation of Rohingya to their homeland with civic rights is the only solution to the crisis. And we hope to begin the process when the situation in Myanmar is calm,鈥� said the minister, adding that the government was following the path of diplomatic negotiations for the Rohingya repatriation.
Referring to the resettlement of a handful of displaced Rohingya from Bangladesh to a 鈥榯hird country,鈥� he said that such a move for relocation to any developed country was 鈥榗ounterproductive鈥� as it rather encouraged a fresh influx of Rohingya.
Former state minister for foreign affairs, Md Shahriar Alam, said that they went very close on the repatriation of Rohingya, at least on three occasions, but none could be sent back so far.
Dhaka University international relations professor Delwar Hossain blamed the lakh of global pressure on the Myanmar junta regime, now retreating in the face of an intensifying civil war, for the lingering Rohingya crisis.
He warned against any kind of provocation, saying, 鈥榃e cannot take any side in the internal conflict in Myanmar.鈥櫬�
DU peace and conflict studies associate professor Md Touhidul Islam said that the crisis should be addressed where it evolved.
Calling upon all concerned to look at the issue from the humanitarian ground, he, however, mentioned that there was a significant progress in the Rohingya negotiation process, even though the repatriation had not begun.聽
In his keynote speech, former OCAB president Farid Hossain said that it was Myanmar that created the mess, and the responsibility of clearing it went to them.聽
鈥楤ut the ongoing crisis in the military-ruled neighbouring country does not offer any hope,鈥� the senior journalist added.
OCAB president Nazrul Islam chaired the discussion meeting while its general secretary, Julhas Alam, delivered the welcome speech.
