Bangladesh foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has sought a ‘clear roadmap’ from the United Nations (UN) regarding early repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to their land of origin in Myanmar.
He said: “We need a clear roadmap from the UN for repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar.”
The minister made the plea at a bilateral meeting with Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General on Myanmar Christine S Burgener at the Bangladesh Permanent mission in New York on Wednesday.
He said the solution to Rohingya crisis lies in their safe and sustainable repatriation to Myanmar, which couldn’t even be commenced in last four years.
Dr Momen referred to the negative impacts of protracted presence of the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar, particularly for the host community, and stated that if repatriation doesn’t commence soon, it would only deteriorate the overall situation there and create instability in the region and beyond.
Briefing the Special Envoy on the Bhashan char project where the Rohingya can engage in economic activities, he stressed on the engagement of UN in providing humanitarian assistance there.
As Dr Momen invited the Special Envoy to visit Bhashan Char, Burgener expressed her willingness to visit the island where Bangladesh government build a township to relocate 100,000 Rohingyas from congested camps in Cox’s Bazar.
Christine S Burgener also briefed the foreign Minister on her efforts to reach out to the UN member States, and all other stakeholders within and outside Myanmar with a view to resolving the crisis in a sustainable manner so that the conditions on the ground could be improved and the repatriation could commence soon.
Later, the foreign minister had a meeting with the UN Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
Dr Momen reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to support and contribute to the peacekeeping operations of the UN, which lies in the high ideals of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The foreign minister thanked the UN’s Department of Peace Operations (DPO) for their cooperation in ensuring safety and security of the peacekeepers.
BDST: 1314 HRS, JUN 17, 2021
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