Prime minister Sheikh Hasina greets the participants in the 63rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Dhaka on Sunday. — Sanaul Haque
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged commonwealth countries to exert pressure on Myanmar to stop persecution on the Rohingyas and take them back from Bangladesh at the earliest.
‘I would like to request you all to discuss the Rohingya issue with utmost importance and exert pressure on the Myanmar government to stop persecution on its citizens and take them back at the earliest,’ Sheikh Hasina said while officially inaugurating the 63rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Dhaka.
‘… the inhuman persecution meted out to the Rohingya population in the Rakhine state of Myanmar and their forceful expulsion from their homeland have created instability in the region and beyond,’ she said, while addressing delegations for 44 commonwealth countries attending the conference organised by Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Bangladesh parliament .
‘Over 6.22 hundred thousand Myanmar nationals fled to Bangladesh to escape persecution in recent time,’ she said adding that Bangladesh was giving temporary shelter to this huge number of people on humanitarian ground.
‘After 1978 another five hundred thousand Rohingyas came to Bangladesh at different time,’ she said.
She said that Bangladesh’s foreign policy was friendship to all, malice to none. ‘Especially we are eager to maintain good relation with our neighbours,’ she added.
‘We have resolved long-standing problems of Ganges Water Sharing and land boundary with India through signing treaties.
‘Similarly, maritime boundary problem with India and Myanmar was also resolved amicably,’ she added.
Jatiya Sangsad speaker and CPA chairperson Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury also sought support from commonwealth parliamentarians in working out an urgent solution to Rohingya crisis and in facilitating return of the displaced people to Myanmar.
‘We must work together to ensure basic human rights for these displaced people,’ she said.
Sheikh Hasina and Shirin Sharmin made the comments when according to the UN estimation till Sunday, around 6,09,000 Rohingyas entered Bangladesh since the beginning of the new influx, what the United Nations called the world’s fastest-developing refugee emergency, on August 25.
The new influx began after Myanmar security forces responded to Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army’s reported attacks on August 25 by launching violence what the United Nations denounced as ethnic cleansing.
Terrified, half-starved and exhausted Rohingyas continued arriving in Bangladesh in groups trekking hills and forests and crossing rough sea and the River Naf on boat and taking
shelter wherever they could in Cox’s Bazar.
Many Rohingyas took shelter at makeshift camps in reserved forests, felling trees, setting up shanties on hill slopes while some of them took shelter at overcrowded registered and unregistered camps.
Regarding the conference, Hasina said that conference of this kind would give everyone a clear insight into the democratic values and practices.
Hasina said that she and her party were engaged in the struggle for restoration of democracy in Bangladesh.
‘We did not stay back from the struggle for restoration of democracy although thousands of workers and leaders were victims of massive repression,’ Hasina said.
‘We think that only democratic system can ensure uplift of people’s living standard through fulfilling their basic need
‘We parliamentarians being the people’s representatives have the first and foremost obligations to preserve and maintain the faith of the people in democracy and parliamentary institutions.
‘A new campaign against militancy and terrorism has been added to our efforts to eradicate hunger and poverty. Thoughtless acts of a section of people are claiming innocent lives.
‘Militancy is not a problem of a particular country; rather it has become a global phenomenon. A few days back eight precious lives were claimed on a New York road. We have to be united to get rid of this menace.
‘Let us make this planet a peaceful, happy and prosperous abode for the entire humanity,’ she said.
The prime minister also cancelled commemorative postal stamps on the occasion of conference.
Shirin Sharmin read out a message of Queen Elizabeth (II) and CPA secretary general Akbar Khan read another message of Commonwealth secretary general Patricia Scotland at the inauguration ceremony
Commonwealth youth representative Aiman Sadique and treasurer of CPA Vicki Dunn spoke, among others, on the occasion.
The inauguration of the conference was also marked by presentation of a number of video documentaries on Bangladesh’s history, nature and livelihood of the people as well as dance performances of artistes.
Different working session of the 63rd CPC began on November 1 and it would conclude on November 8.
Source: New Age
