Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday (4 June) said the government will not allow new structures in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar that ultimately caused ecological imbalance.
“It would not be wise (decision) to allow new structure in Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar as environmental and ecological imbalance has already poised there due to massive deforestation,” she said.
The prime minister said this while Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.
Prime Minister’s Speech Writer Md Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters after the call on.
Hasina said Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar are very congested and the Rohingyas are living in unhealthy conditions.
She sought the support of Yohei Sasakawa for the repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingyas to their motherland, Myanmar, as they have been stranded in Bangladesh for over six years.
Besides, the premier also sought more support from the Nippon Foundation to shift more Rohingyas to Bhashanchar from Cox’s Bazar for an interim period.
Currently, the Nippon Foundation is providing different types of assistance for the Rohingyas.
Yohei Sasakawa appreciated and lauded the accommodation facilities of Rohingyas in Bhashanchar, and said that Nippon Foundation is keen to providing training to the Rohingyas to boost their income generation as well as education to the new Rohingya children.
To this end, he placed a proposal to the prime minister.
The prime minister said that Bangladesh has given shelter to the Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds as over 40,000 women were pregnant at that time, and that is why the government provided food, and medical facilities by installing field hospitals.
Non-government organisations and international agencies joined the government later for the support of Rohingyas, she added.
She said that the number of Rohingyas is increasing rapidly day by day due to the conservative mentality of Rohingya women as they are not interested in family planning.
Yohei Sasakawa said the Nippon Foundation is also willing to work in this regard.
Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin and PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah were among others present at the meeting.
Tbs