DHAKA: Foreign minister Dipu Moni on Wednesday categorically said the government had not received any request from the UN regarding allowance the people seeking refuge in the country from the Rakhine state of Myanmar.
She came up with disclosure while talking to reporters in city’s CIRDAP auditorium in the morning.
Earlier on Tuesday, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), also known as the UN Refugee Agency urged Bangladesh government to allow Myanmar nationals, who entered Bangladesh following violence in Rakhine state.
According to a BBC Bangla Service report on Tuesday, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) country representative Craig Sanders came up with the urge.
Craig Sanders said Bangladesh border and coast guards pushed back six boats carrying Myanmar nationals while they were trying to enter Bangladesh.
A few refugees were able to enter Bangladesh territory crossing the border as the both countries strengthened their vigilance along the bordering areas." he added
Craig said, "We requested the Bangladesh government to easy its vigilance and allow the refugees to enter the country, especially those who sustained injuries during the violence.”
On Tuesday, foreign minister Dipu Moni, in a sudden press briefing, said, “We won`t accept any more refugees in Bangladesh.”
Dipu claimed the ministry had not received any request from UNHCR.
It is not our interest. So Bangladesh government doesn’t want fresh intrusion of Myanmar refugees.
Dipu said, “There are already many Rohingyas here and many were intruded illegally. The density of the population of the country is high. Social, environmental and law-order situation will be affected if Myanmar refugees entered.”
Rather, we discussed with Myanmar on a process to send back the existing refugees, he added.
The foreign ministry, in a statement, informed on Tuesday that the two neighbouring countries are maintaining close consultations to ensure that developments in the Rakhine state do not have any trans-boundary spill-over.
The local administration and the law enforcing agencies in the border area have been advised to remain alert and increase vigilance, the release added.
Earlier in a few days, 17 people were killed in incidents of violence in western Myanmar, where police opened fire and the authorities declared a curfew to tackle the escalating unrest, officials said.
Myanmar’s State television announced late Friday a night-time curfew in the unrest-hit areas, home to large numbers of Rohingya, a Muslim group described by the United Nations as one of the world’s most persecuted minorities.
The UN shifted it’s officials from the state of the country.
In the latest development, he members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Coastguard, in separate drives, held 114 Rohingyas as they tried to intrude Bangladesh crossing the common Naf River on early Wednesday and in the morning.
Some 75 Rohingya refugees were held from Shah Parir Deep of Teknaf at 12am on Wednesday and 39 others were held from Sent Martin at 8am.
Earlier, BGB personnel pushed some 350 Rohingyas back to their country as they tried to intrude Bangladesh crossing the common Naf River in seven small boats.
Sources added the Rohingyas tried lad in Shahpori Dip and Badarmokam of Teknaf but the border guards declined to allow their intrusion.
But, local public representatives and officials alleged several Rohingya groups backed by some foreign aided NGOs were encouraging Rohingyas to flee their country to take refuge in Bangladesh as campaign was underway for repatriation of Rohingyas who already were in the country.
BDST: 1212 HRS, JUN 13, 2012
Edited by: Rubaiat Saky, Newsroom Editor
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