Dhaka, Oct 2 – The BNP on Monday opposed the decision of Bangladesh and Myanmar to form a joint working group to start the repatriation process of all the Rohingyas staying in Bangladesh, saying it is an uncertain process to resolve the crisis.“The formation of a joint working group is an uncertain process to resolve the issue. Such a decision has manifested that the government is going to fail to have a quick solution to the Rohingya crisis. It’s also failed to make the international community understand the dangerous situation Bangladesh is now facing,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Speaking at a documentary screening programme, the BNP leader renewed their party’s call for forging a national unity to overcome the Rohingya crisis. “We’ve long been talking about forming a national unity to face the challenge. Unfortunately, the government is not paying any heed to it as its policy is to divide the nation.”
He urged the government to call a national convention to forge the unity and take steps to send an all-party delegation to different countries to push for resolving the problem.
Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) screened the documentary at Kendrio Kochi Kachar Mela auditorium on the plight of Rohingyas and repression on them.
Earlier at a meeting of officials of the Bangladesh and Myanmar at the state guesthouse Padma, the two countries agreed to form a joint working group to start the repatriation process of all the Rohingyas living in Bangladesh, which Dhaka sees as a “progress.”
“It’ll soon be formed and I’m hopeful (about a solution),” Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali told reporters in the afternoon mentioning that Myanmar came up with the proposal of repatriation of the Rohingyas.
He, however, said the composition of the joint working group will be finalised later. “We’ll give our names from our side while they’ll give their names (for the joint working group).”
Fakhrul said the government has failed to portrait the Rohingya crisis and genocide against them by the Myanmar authorities before the international community. “People of Bangladesh have come under an attack through the problem. The government has failed to convince the international community how humanity and Bangladesh’s independence, sovereignty, economy, environment and society have been affected by the Rohingya crisis.”
He also criticised the government for not sending any high-profile delegation to any country and for not intensifying its diplomatic efforts to get influential countries’ support to resolve the Rohingya crisis.
The BNP leader said though their party has been calling upon the Prime Minister to visit influential countries to pursue them to come forward to have a solution to the problem, she is not doing it.
He also urged the country’s people to get united to drum up a strong public opinion across the country and abroad to stop persecution on Rohingyas and force the Myanmar authorities to take back their citizens ensuring their rights, citizenship and dignity. – UNB
