Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said that the decision to form a Joint Working Group between Dhaka and Naypyidaw to take back Myanmar’s Rohingya nationals pointed toward an ‘uncertain’ path.
‘This (Joint Working Group) is totally an uncertain matter. This proves that the government is failing to resolve the Rohingya problem quickly,’ Fakhrul said referring to media reports on the outcome of a meeting between a visiting Myanmar minister and the Bangladesh foreign minister, held earlier on the day.
The meeting between Kyaw Tint Swe, minister of Myanmar’s state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi’s office, and foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali decided to form the joint working group to repatriate several lakhs of Rohingya people who were forcibly displaced by Myanmar security forces and took shelter in Bangladesh.
Addressing a function at Kendriya Kachi Kanchar Mela Auditorium in the capital, Fakhrul urged the government to convene a national convention immediately to create a national unity to face the Rohingya crisis.
He called for forming a team comprising of representatives of all the political parties and sending it to foreign countries to talk about the challenges Bangladesh were facing over the Rohingya influx.
Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha, cultural wing of BNP, organised a photography exhibition and screening of Stop Genocide, a documentary on the Rohingya people who have fled to Bangladesh.
The BNP secretary general lashed out at the government for its failure to convince the international community about the horrible situation that was prevailing in Bangladesh following the huge exodus of Rohingya people from their homeland in the Rakhine state of Myanmar.
Fakhrul said that the government had also failed to convince them about the negative impacts that it would have on the independence, sovereignty, economy, environment and society of Bangladesh.
He blasted the government again for not sending any high level diplomatic team to powerful countries, indicating China, Russia and India.
Fakhrul suggested that the prime minister should visit those countries at the moment or send a high-profile ministerial-level delegation there to resolve the Rohingya crisis.
He lamented that the government had so far ignored BNP’s repeated calls for forging a national unity to face the challenges of the protracted Rohingya crisis. He alleged that the ruling party’s policy was to keep the nation divided.
Fakhrul said that it would be tough for any ‘undemocratic’ and ‘unelected’ government to resolve the problem.
Source: New Age
Rahid Ejaj Reports in Daily Prothom Alo
Global Pressure has softened Myanmar to some extent, both wants to resolve the Rohingya issue through peaceful bilateral negotiation.Myanmar has agreed to form a joint committee to repatriate Rohingyas to Rakhaine as per discussion held between Bangladesh foreign minister and a minister of the Myanmar State Councillor.Bangladesh wants all Rohingyas to be returned starting from 1992 numbering to about 900.000.Myanmar wants to take back Rohingyas migrated from last year October numbering aabout 600,000.+ 2415 registered refugees. The Social Welfare Minister of Myanmar said that as discussed in a meeting of the executive committee of UNHCR in Geneva, their pressent priority is to take back the3 Rohigyas to Myanmar.Meantime two more discussions held with representatives of Aung San Suu kye without any result.Time schedule and procedure for Rohingya repatriation is left to the joint committeee to be formed.However a fruitful discussion has been made.
My view regarding the above are as follows:
Without UN participation any Bilateral negotition is a hoax. The precondition for entering into a negotiation shall be immediate stoppage of any further Rohingya migration and stoppage of army repression which are going on still unabated.Instead of a joint Committee there shall be one committee comprising members from UNHRC, Amnesty international,HWC and representatives from Myanmar wwho forced the refugees to Bangladesh and representatives from Bangladesh who sheltered the Rohingyas. Additional members shall be taken from executive committee for Refugee related organisation of United Nations.An instrument of Agreement must be prepared ahead containing implementation of Recommendation of Anan Commission Report and additional provisions for resettlement. (In case of reluctance to cooperate by Myanmar colleral damage and as US representative to UN Mrs Haley said “”We must now consider action against Burmese security forces who are implicated in abuses and stoking hatred among their fellow citizens”.”Re-imposing of sanctions may also be considered.Foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali may be adviced that “only the UN can legitimately intervene in conflict situations that poses threat to international peace and security as well as global concern”.