Dhaka, Aug 31 – Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Saturday ruled out any concern for Bangladesh amid the exclusion of nearly 2 million people from the final citizenship list in Assam saying Bangladesh believes in India’s assurance.He said they raised the issue in advance when Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar visited Bangladesh and had a meeting with him on August 20.
Dr Momen wanted to know about the issue from Jaishankar at the meeting and told him that many people are concerned about the matter in Bangladesh.
“You’ve heard…he (Jaishankar) categorically said the issue is an internal matter for India, and there’ll be no problem (for Bangladesh),” Dr Momen told reporters after attending a function in the city.
Earlier, he spoke at the closing session of Dhaka DocLab, an international documentary co-production project market in Bangladesh which also serves workshops for South Asian filmmakers, as the chief guest.
DocLab’s Chairman Nasir Uddin Yousuff Bachchu and Director Tareq Ahmed were also present.
The Foreign Minister said the world is dynamic and there will be many incidents and they will manage those.
Quoting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said, “There’ll be emerging problems and there’ll also be emerging solutions.”
Dr Momen also said he shared with the Indian External Affairs Minister about the problem Bangladesh is facing with the presence of over 1.1 million Rohingyas.
He said Bangladesh is now on the highway of development journey and there is no lack of jobs for the poor and common people, including labourers, even for those who have no education in the country.
“So, I don’t believe the people of our country will go to neigbouring countries right at the moment. If they might have gone there it was before 1971 and 1947.”
India on Saturday published the final citizenship list in the state of Assam that excluded nearly 2 million people amid fears they could be rendered stateless, reports AP.
The list, known as the National Register of Citizens, intends to identify legal residents and weed out illegal immigrants from the state.
A total of 31.1 million people were included in the list, leaving out 1.9 million people, according to a statement from the Assam government.
The controversial list has ended the wait of millions of Assam residents who will now find out whether they are Indians or “foreigners.” Critics have viewed the exercise as an attempt to deport millions of minority Muslims, many of whom have entered India from neighboring Bangladesh.
“The entire process of NRC update has been meticulously carried out in an objective and transparent manner,” said a statement issued by the registry authorities.
A steady trickle of people lined up to check their names on the final citizenship list in Buraburi village outside one of the many offices that have been set up across Assam for residents to verify the status of their citizenship applications.
Mijanur Rahman, a 47-year-old farmer, found himself, his 21-year-old son, and two of his daughters aged 16 and 14 included in the list. However, his wife and his other three daughters — all under the age of 10 — were excluded.
“I’m really worried. We’ll see what the government does now. Maybe they’ll offer some help,” a teary eyed Rahman told The Associated Press.
The NRC list is unique to Assam and was first prepared in 1951. It’ll include those whose names appeared in the 1951 document and their descendants. The list also includes those who had been on India’s electoral rolls up to March 24, 1971, or in any other document approved by the Indian central government. – UNB
