Bangladesh will not shelter any more Rohingyas; instead, the caretaker government is committed to repatriating those currently inside Bangladesh back to their homeland.
This was stated by the Adviser for Labour and Employment, Dr M Sakhawat Hossain, at a day-long strategic discussion on the crisis and solution of the Rohingya problem, organised by the “Policy Research Centre” at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital on Wednesday.
Sakhawat said, “Repatriation of the Rohingyas is not possible without international assistance. However, the government is making diplomatic efforts.”
He further mentioned that the current government hopes the Rohingyas will be able to return to their country next year.
Poet and activist Farhad Mazhar described the Rohingya crisis as entirely a political and military problem and called for it to be viewed as a global issue.
Mazhar said, “This is not merely a humanitarian problem; it is entirely a political and military issue. It is also a geopolitical problem. Therefore, the international community must take this matter with utmost seriousness.”
Chairman of the Arakan Rohingya National Alliance (ARNA) Nurul Islam said, “Bangladesh can play the most crucial role in the return of the Rohingyas.”
He also expressed the view that no form of repatriation is possible without political or domestic intervention.
At the beginning of the event, the keynote paper was presented by former ambassador Mohammad Sufiur Rahman.
Mohammad Sufiur Rahman stated that, for the repatriation of the Rohingyas, it is essential to ensure citizenship, voting rights, and political participation in Myanmar, with the involvement of the Arakan Army and the SSPC, there must be a commitment against forced labour and forced conscription of the Rohingyas, and the freedom of movement for the Rohingyas must be guaranteed.
At the end of the event, the Dhaka Declaration was read out by Dr Mahbubul Haq, trustee of the Policy Research Centre.
The declaration highlighted the key points from local and national consultative meetings for a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis. It emphasised the safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of the Rohingyas.
