UK for ‘unified approach’ in UNSC to resolve Rohingya crisis

British high commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson on Monday laid emphasis on more “unified approach” in the UN Security Council saying it is really urgent to work together globally to find a solution to Rohingya crisis, reports UNB.

He said the news headlines that he saw over the last couple of days regarding prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s just-concluded China visit are “very encouraging”.

During the visit, Bangladesh and China agreed on speedy solution to the Rohingya crisis noting that it cannot be kept unresolved.

While talking to diplomatic correspondents at DCAB Talk in Dhaka, the British envoy said when there are a million of displaced people, they are potentially vulnerable to radicalisation what happened in other parts of the world.

He highlighted three things that need to be considered necessary for beginning repatriation on a safe, voluntary and dignified manner, including implementation of the Kofi Annan report on Rakhine.

“Actually that plan is a very good one and implementation of that plan will be very good basis to address the underlining issues facing Rohingya people,” he said.

The high commissioner said Rohingya people will get back confidence if their citizenship rights are granted.

The envoy said they have been pushing in the UNSC on the accountability fronts to look into crimes committed against Rohingyas.

“It’s very important that those allegations are properly investigated,” he said emphasising holding people accountable for their crimes.

Recognising significant economic relations between the two countries, he said the UK is committed to maintaining Bangladesh’s duty-free and quota-free market access once the UK leaves the European Union (EU).

He said the UK-Bangladesh bilateral trade in 2018 was 3.6 billion pounds, with Bangladesh exporting 3 billion pounds of goods and services to the UK, and the UK exporting 627 million pounds of goods and services to Bangladesh.

“The UK is the third largest export market for Bangladesh,” he said adding that the UK is Bangladesh’s second largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

In 2018, the UK’s net FDI into Bangladesh was US$ 373 million.

High commissioner Dickson said the UK Export Finance current credit limit of 750 million pounds for Bangladesh market shows the UK’s commitment to support potential business opportunities in Bangladesh.

The UK is the 6th largest source of remittance for Bangladesh, with a value of US$ 1.1 billion.
The British high commissioner said as a long standing friend of Bangladesh and its people, they deeply value the UK’s relationship with Bangladesh.

“I know you’re looking forward to your 50th anniversary in two years’ time, and to celebrating your many achievements, from bringing over 50 million people out of extreme poverty since 1990, to increasing life expectancy and reducing infant mortality, to boosting your economy to one of the fastest growing ones in the world,” he said.

The British envoy said there are around 600,000 people of Bangladeshi origin in the UK.

He said the people of Bangladeshi origin play a huge role in the UK, including in business, civil society and across the full spectrum of local and central government.

“There’re three British MPs of Bangladeshi origin, one member of the House of Lords and over 100 councillors with Bangladeshi heritage across the UK,” he mentioned.

Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) arranged the DCAB Talk at the auditorium of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the city.

DCAB president Raheed Ejaz and general secretary Nurul Islam Hasib also spoke at the event.