Rohingya Crisis
Repatriation is the only solution, not integration: FM about Rohingya crisis
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Monday reiterated the government position against any long-term programme by the World Bank for the integration of Rohingyas into Bangladesh but indicated some adjustments on the proposal.
He said there might be some adjustments with the World Bank proposal with Bangladesh giving its priority to repatriation of the Rohingyas.
Read:Bangladesh against any idea leading to Rohingya integration: FM
"We’ve dropped all ideas (from WB proposal) that don't match with our own philosophy that's repatriation," Dr Momen told reporters, adding that there will be an MoU if the WB agrees with the Bangladesh proposal.
The Foreign Minister said the WB has taken a long-term programme for 16 countries which are hosting refugees and they will provide money from a Tk-2000 crore fund.
"Rohingyas are not refugees here. They’re persecuted and displaced people …they’re taking shelter here on a temporary basis," Dr Momen said.
Earlier, the Foreign Minister told UNB that the government has taken a very strong stance against the idea floated by the World Bank that apparently suggests integration of Rohingyas into Bangladesh giving them all the rights like Bangladesh citizens.
“We took a very strong stance. We didn’t like it and we opposed it strongly. We conveyed it,” said Dr Momen.
The World Bank came up with a programme as part of its Refugee Policy Review Framework globally for refugee host countries through the Economic Relations Division (ERD).
Poor host communities fume as Rohingyas start grabbing local labour market
An anger is growing among poor hosts as the Rohingyas, living in Bangladesh’s tourism hub of Cox’s Bazar, are increasingly joining the local labour market, leaving many locals out of their jobs and small businesses.
The host communities claimed that Rohingyas can easily come out from their camps and get engaged in work at the local labour market with their increased presence.
“You need to pay a local labourer Tk 600 a day and you can do the same job engaging a Rohingya with only Tk 200-300. Naturally, the Rohingyas get a preference when someone hires a day-labourer,” one of the locals told UNB, wishing not to be named.
Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar district and Bhasan Char.
The UN is likely to begin its operational activities in Bhasan Char in September if the current negotiation ends with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in August.
Palangkhali UP chairman in Ukhiya upazila M Gafur Uddin Chowdhury said locals are no longer getting desired jobs as Rohingyas are preferred for lower wages. “Even, no one is stopping it… even the Rohingyas are getting involved in small businesses.”
Hamidul Haque Chowdhury who works to protect the interests of locals said the Rohingyas are even working in various NGOs.
Read: Floods, landslides hit Rohingya camps hard: UNHCR
“They also work in various shops and doing household works. I myself saw them doing all this,” he told UNB, adding that Rohingya workers and employees are outnumbering the locals.
Mohammad Shamsu Douza, Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, said they have no such information that the Rohingyas are working in various NGOs.
Japan to grab any opportunity to resolve Rohingya crisis for regional stability
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito has said Japan will seize the opportunity to find a “long-term and lasting solution” to the Rohingya crisis with the Myanmar side, noting that the issue is very relevant to the future stability of the entire region.
“What we can say right now is Japan will seize the opportunity to raise this very, very important issue with the Myanmar side and its military now whenever appropriate,” he said.
The Japanese envoy said his country will do its best to create an enabling environment for the early repatriation of Rohingyas and will continue to raise the issue with the Myanmar side whenever appropriate.
He was responding to a question at a virtual dialogue titled “Bangladesh-Japan Relations: Prognosis for the Future” where he delivered the keynote speech.
Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Cosmos Group, hosted the dialogue as a part of its ongoing Ambassador’s Lecture Series.
The opening remarks were delivered by the Cosmos Foundation Chairman Enayetullah Khan. The session was chaired by Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, renowned scholar-diplomat and former Advisor on Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Caretaker Government.
Md Abul Kalam Azad, Special Envoy, Climate Vulnerable Forum; Hayakawa Yuho, Chief Representative, JICA Bangladesh Office; Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, former Governor, Bangladesh Bank; Prof Masaaki Ohashi, Professor, University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo; Manzurul Huq, Columnist, writer and academic; Prof Takahara Akio, Dean, Graduate School of Public Policy, the University of Tokyo and Ambassador (retd) Tariq A Karim, Honorary Advisor Emeritus, Cosmos Foundation comprised the panel of discussants.
Also read: Ambassador Ito sees 5 challenges ahead to elevate Dhaka-Tokyo ties
Ambassador Ito said humanitarian assistance and humanitarian crises are very much part of their vision when they talk about stability and peace of the region.
He said it is very difficult to predict what is going to happen in Myanmar right now in light of the current situation in that country since the February 1 military coup with a complete standoff.
Dhaka wants trilateral initiative from Moscow to resolve Rohingya crisis
Bangladesh has urged Russia to take a trilateral initiative involving Bangladesh, Russia and Myanmar like the existing one with China to resolve the Rohingya crisis as China and Russia have much leverage on Myanmar.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Monen shared the idea with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov during their recent meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
“I told him (Russian FM) that we’re trying much to solve the issue bilaterally, and we had many meetings. But no one could be repatriated in the last four years. I want you to take a trilateral initiative,” Dr Momen told reporters at his residence, sharing what he conveyed to his Russian counterpart.
Also read: Dhaka seeks Moscow's help to resolve Rohingya crisis
The Foreign Minister also conveyed his Russian counterpart that Myanmar will listen to Russia as the two countries maintain very good relations.
Dhaka seeks Moscow's help to resolve Rohingya crisis
Bangladesh has sought Russia's "active and fruitful cooperation" for facilitating the reintegration and return of the Rohingya refugees to their homeland.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen raised the issue with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at a meeting on the sidelines of the international conference on 'Central & South Asia: Regional Connectivity, Challenges and Opportunity' in Tashkent on Friday.
READ: FM for joint efforts to boost connectivity among countries in Central, South Asia
The two Foreign Ministers agreed to work together on the Rohingya issue, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday. Russia, the Ministry said, would continue to encourage Myanmar to engage in dialogue with Bangladesh.
RRRC urges NGOs to encourage Rohingyas to go to Bhasan Char
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Shah Rezwan Hayat has called on NGOs working for refugees to encourage Rohingya refugees to go to Bhasan Char.
He made the call while visiting two Rohingya camps (Camp 21 and 22) at Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar district recently.
During his visit, he went around the Bhaban of the Armed Police Battalion (APBN).
Besides, he planted a sapling of Arabian jasmine flower in the office premises of camp-in-charge.
Shadhona Tripura, in-charge of Camp No. 21, Rahul Chanda, Assistant Secretary of RRRC’s Office in Cox’s Bazar and Executive Magistrate, and others were present during the visit of Shah Rezwan Hayat.
The RRRC exchanged views with BRAC employees at BRAC’s WASH programme office at Camp No. 21 and appreciated different activities taken up under WASH, Shelter and Education Programmes of BRAC.
Also read: IOM ramps up health response as 2nd wave of COVID-19 hits Cox’s Bazar
Addressing the occasion, Shah Rezwan Hayat called upon officials of different NGOs, which are working for Rohingyas, to persuade the refugees, who are now sheltered at different camps in Cox’s Bazar, to go to Bhasan Char.
Shah Rezwan Hayat said more Rohingyas in another phase would be sent to Bhasan Char in September. "The UN High Commissioner on Refugee informed me that he would formally visit Bhasan Char”.
"We have to take effective steps so that none can capture the houses, to be vacated by Rohingyas after going to Bhasan Char. Besides, we have to be careful so that no shelter camp is built again by cutting hills, he said.
Shah Rezwan Hayat called on all concerned to take necessary steps so that the local people (host community) can use the compost, which is made of perishable goods at the refugee camps.
Md. Afsar Ali, Project Manager of WASH Programme under Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) of BRAC; Md. Abdus Salam, Senior Branch Manager of HCMP’s Palongkhali; and others were present on behalf of BRAC.
Also read: Preparedness strengthened ahead of cyclone, monsoon season in Cox's Bazar: IOM
Tanmoy Das, Coordinator of Camp-21 of BRAC, made a brief presentation on WASH programme.
Md. Shamim Ahmed, BRAC’s Camp Assistant Technical (Shelter) Specialist, made another presentation on shelter activities.
Also read: Seven Rohingyas held along Benapole border
UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution to end Rohingya crisis
The UN Human Rights Council has unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a solution to the Rohingya crisis.
Since the massive influx of the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar into Bangladesh in August 2017, this is the first time that any resolution on the issue was adopted in the UN without a vote, due to the intense diplomatic efforts made by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in Geneva.
Read: FM seeks clear roadmap from UN for Rohingya repatriation
The resolution on the 'Human Rights Situation of Rohingya Muslims and other Minorities in Myanmar' was unanimously adopted on Monday at the ongoing 47th session of the Human Rights Council.
The adoption of the resolution by consensus is a big milestone for Bangladesh, said the Bangladesh Mission in Geneva on Tuesday.
Earlier, at the initiative of Bangladesh, all member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) presented the draft before the Council.
In the context of the existing political situation in Myanmar, there had been strong divergences and differences among the UN member states on various elements of the text from the outset.
After tough and lengthy negotiations at several phases, the resolution was adopted by the Council.
Read: Int'l community's stronger role sought for Rohingya repatriation
Rohingya Crisis: Norway always with Bangladesh
Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh Espen Rikter-Svendsen has said Norway will always stand beside Bangladesh over the resolution of the Rohingya crisis.
Ambassador Espen expressed how the challenges are getting more complex for the host nation and the humanitarian actors to help the Rohingya people.
He was addressing a function marking the opening of a certificate course on the Rohingya crisis held on Saturday.
The Ambassador encouraged the participants of the course to explore new ideas that can help solve this complex issue.
Also read: Resolution on Myanmar fails to recommend actions on Rohingya repatriation: Dhaka
The course has jointly been organised by the Center for Peace Studies (CPS) of the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) at North South University (NSU) and the Human Rights Practice Programme at the University of Arizona.
Although it is a 12-week virtual course, a physical field trip to the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar is included in the exercise.
NSU Vice-Chancellor Prof Atiqul Islam, Prof John Paul Jones III, Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences of the University of Arizona, and Prof Sk Tawfique Haque, Director, SIPG and CPS of NSU, Ambassador Sufiur Rahman from Australia and former Ambassador Shahidul Haque, Professorial Fellow of NSU joined the event.
Also read: Dhaka seeks UN SG’s intervention to resolve Rohingya crisis
Prof Tawfique Haque said this course aims to discuss the dynamics of the national, bilateral, regional and global politics and policies, including economic and security issues related to the Rohingya crisis.
Prof Jones mentioned that it is an honour for him to do a partnership with the NSU and he hopes together through the multifaceted topics of this course, both the participants and the resource persons can learn more about this crisis and find resolutions.
He commended the people of Bangladesh for all the humanitarian assistance to the displaced people.
Also read: FM seeks clear roadmap from UN for Rohingya repatriation
Vice-Chancellor Atiqul Islam mentioned the various challenges like language barrier to education, cultural and psychological factors, should be considered while planning any short or long-term plans for the displaced community.
He said the course is important for the people who are engaged, concerned, and related to the issues and hopes that, in the future, if necessary, this course can be upgraded to a diploma degree or even a master’s degree.
A total of 38 participants with diverse backgrounds joined from eight countries, including Bangladesh.
Dhaka seeks UN SG’s intervention to resolve Rohingya crisis
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has sought UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ personal intervention over the Rohingya issue, saying it is now needed more than ever as the political situation in Myanmar has deteriorated.
The Foreign Minister also said it is frustrating that many influential countries have enhanced their economic and business relations with Myanmar while publicly decrying the human rights violations there.
Dr Momen made the remarks during his meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the UN Headquarters on Thursday.
Referring to the humanitarian gesture of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in providing shelter to the Rohingya, the Secretary General thanked Bangladesh for hosting the displaced Rohingya minorities from Myanmar.
READ: FM seeks clear roadmap from UN for Rohingya repatriation
“The world won’t forget Bangladesh’s generosity in hosting the largest refugee camps of the world,” the Secretary General added.
The Foreign Minister also briefed the SG about the facilities in Bhashan Char and stressed the importance of UN’s operations there.
Dr Momen thanked the Secretary General for declaring the Covid-19 vaccine a public good and requested for UN’s initiatives to ensure that the vaccine becomes accessible to all.
The Secretary General in response informed about his efforts during the recent G-7 summit where he particularly mentioned Bangladesh's capacity to produce vaccines.
“The UN has a special relation with Bangladesh,” said the Secretary General.
He praised Bangladesh’s strong leadership role in all areas of the UN’s activities, especially in peacekeeping, climate change and women empowerment.
Foreign Minister Momen congratulated the Secretary General on his re-appointment for the second term and commended his leadership of the UN in his first term as Secretary General.
The Foreign Minister also thanked him for his continued attention to the Rohingya issue.
Although Bangladesh is on track towards SDG implementation, there are concerns about the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic, especially in securing financing for the SDGs, he said.
The Foreign Minister also called for continued support measures for graduating countries.
He requested the Foreign Minister for Bangladesh’s enhanced representation in the United Nations, particularly at senior management level.
Later, the Foreign Minister held a meeting with Rosemary DiCarlo, Under Secretary General for the Department for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs.
READ: FM's NY Visit: Dhaka to press for early repatriation of Rohingyas
During the meeting, they discussed the current political situation in Myanmar and its impacts on the repatriation of the Rohingya Muslims from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
Ambassador Rabab Fatima accompanied the Foreign Minister at both the meetings.
Dhaka urges UN to take immediate steps to resolve Rohingya crisis
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has urged the United Nations to take immediate steps to resolve the Rohingya crisis and help these displaced people return to their place of origin in Rakhine State with dignity.
The Foreign Minister also recalled the efforts of the international community, including the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council in keeping the issue of Rohingya alive; while the efforts of the Security Council have always fallen short of concrete action.
He expressed the hope that the Council will fulfill its Charter obligations and take urgent measures to resolve the crisis in Myanmar so that the Rohingya people can return to their homes in safety, security and dignity.
He also urged the regional countries and other stakeholders in playing their due role.
“We’ve always called for international community’s active role in resolving the political aspects of the Rohingya problem; addressing the root causes and most importantly fulfilling their fundamental right to return to their homes in safety, security and dignity,” said the Foreign Minister at a high-level virtual discussion on Tuesday organized by Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.
Also read: FM's NY Visit: Dhaka to press for early repatriation of Rohingyas