Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Sunday said a quick and sustainable political solution to the Rohingya crisis requires strong cooperation from the international community and international organisations.
He urged the UN and the international community to keep the Rohingya crisis on the global agenda and ensure that it is not overshadowed by other global conflicts or crises.
“Through joint efforts and effective diplomacy by the international community, we must ensure the rapid and dignified repatriation of Rohingya refugees to their homeland in Myanmar,” the minister said while addressing a round-table discussion titled “The Rohingya Crisis: Emerging Challenges & Reframing Response Strategies.”
The Institute for Global Cooperation Foundation (IGCF) organised the programme at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS).
Salahuddin said a permanent and sustainable solution to the crisis is possible with the direct support of leading countries in global politics and the UN.
He urged international human rights organisations, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and all other relevant stakeholders to play a more effective role in resolving the Rohingya crisis.
“Our main goal is one – to ensure that the nearly 1.5 million Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs) currently taking shelter here can be sent back to their own country with full dignity and security,” the minister said.
“For this, continued support from the international community and the political role of leading countries are extremely important,” he said.
Highlighting the long-term impact of the crisis, Salahuddin said Bangladesh has been providing shelter, food, land, healthcare and basic security for livelihood to more than 1.5 million displaced Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds for over nine years.
“But over time, criminal activities, arms and drug smuggling, human trafficking, gender-based violence and activities of armed groups have increased in the camps, creating serious challenges to Bangladesh’s internal security,” he said.
Noting that the lives and environment of local communities living near the camps have also come under serious threat, the minister said necessary security measures such as fencing around the camps and a well-regulated movement system have become essential to control crime and ensure the overall security of both the Rohingya population and local citizens.
“The present government, under the capable and far-sighted leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is determined to implement a 100 percent successful repatriation,” he said.
A “National Strategy Formulation Committee on Rohingya Affairs” has already been formed under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Salahuddin said, adding that another high-level national committee, headed by himself, is active in maintaining law and order, border management and overall coordination.
“The government is working with a comprehensive whole-of-government approach involving the civil administration, security and defence agencies,” he said.
The minister warned that humanitarian assistance provided indefinitely without a specific and credible repatriation plan could reduce the pressure for a political solution in the long run.
“Therefore, going beyond emergency relief assistance, we need to move quickly towards a ‘transitional strategy’, whose main objective will be to create a safe and suitable environment in Myanmar’s Rakhine State for the Rohingyas to return,” he said.
Salahuddin expressed hope that through a combination of sustainable international engagement, national unity and a strong security framework, Bangladesh will soon be able to ensure the dignified and permanent repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Public Administration Md Ismail Zabihullah delivered a speech as the guest of honour, while State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam attended the programme as a special guest.