The parliamentary committee attached to the foreign ministry has identified ‘mutual lack of trust’ as the key deterrent preventing solutions to disputes between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The watchdog has suggested frequent bilateral discussions to overcome the difficulties.
The panel discussed Myanmar-Bangladesh relations in on Monday.
It asked the foreign ministry to take effective steps to foster ‘trust’ in bilateral relations.
Committee member Faruk Khan told reporters: “Lack of trust is the key deterrent to development of bilateral relations with Myanmar. That’s why the committee advised the ministry to take steps to enhance mutual trust.”
“Recommendation has also been made to improve the bilateral relation by fostering business and commerce,” he added.
Khan, a former commerce and civil aviation minister, said the disputes with Myanmar were pending for long. “These issues have to be solved through more talks,”
A Parliament Secretariat press release said the formation a Bangladesh-Myanmar parliamentary friendship group had been suggested to settle the vexing issues.
When asked, committee chairman Dipu Moni refused to comment on the ‘lack of trust’.
An official, who attended the meeting, said a flight on the Dhaka-Yangon route might be launched as an initiative to promote bilateral relations.
Pressure eases on Rohingya issue
Foreign ministry officials told the meeting that international pressure on Bangladesh over the Rohingya refugee issue had eased as Dhaka’s position became clear to the world community.
An official attending the meeting told bdnews24.com that Bangladesh could convince the world that Rohingya was Myanmar’s internal problem and that Bangladesh viewed it from a humanitarian perspective.
Dipu Moni said: “Work has started as per the government’s strategy over the Rohingya issue. Rohingya count will also begin. Alongside, the government will continue talks with Myanmar.”
Rohingyas, Myanmar’s minority Muslims, started infiltrating into Bangladesh two decades ago due to communal conflicts with Buddhists.
Bangladesh made several appeals to Myanmar to take back its national but there has been little response from the other side.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and (UNHCR) and Rohingya Refugee Repatriation Action Committee (RRRC), there are over 0.2 million Rohingya refugees, including 30,000 registered ones, in Bangladesh.
Source: Bd news24