PM asks int’l community to act more for Rohingya repatriation

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged international community to play more active role in Rohingya repatriation to their homeland, realising the huge burden of over one million displaced Myanmar nationals on Bangladesh under the fallout of Coronavirus and Russia-Ukraine war.

“Rohingyas are huge burden for us. All the countries are facing difficulties due to Coronavirus and Russia-Ukraine war. So, all should realise Bangladesh’s difficulties to tackle another burden of Rohingyas as it has also a population of 16.50 crore,” she said.

The prime minister said this while virtually inaugurating the newly constructed 8-storey building of the Foreign Ministry and conferring “Bangabandhu Medal for Diplomatic Excellence”, from Ganabhaban. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised the programme at the Hall Room of its newly constructed building in the city.

The prime minister said Rohingyas can return to their motherland, if the international organisations and countries play a more active role in this regard.

She said Bangladesh has sheltered Rohingyas on humanitarian ground and four years have already passed.

The Rohingyas also have human rights to live in a better place instead of camps and their children can be brought up in a dignified atmosphere at their homeland, she said, adding: “The international community should realise it.”

The prime minister said her government has been following the foreign policy, “Friendship to all, malice to none,” formulated by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as her government’s topmost priority is to make socio-economic development of the countrymen.

“We have to expedite the country’s development spree maintaining good relations with all,” she said, referring to executing the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) and ensuring proper share of the Ganges water from India establishing rights on a vast sea area and its resources winning legal battle against neighbouring India and Myanmar.

The prime minister said it is rare in world history to solve the problem of enclaves between two neighbouring countries in a peaceful manner as many countries are engaged in war over the issue.

She asked all concerned to make sure that Bangladesh would not be dependent on others, rather it should move in the world with keeping its head high as a victorious nation and give importance to these things in the foreign policy.

In this connection, she referred to Bangladesh’s stance on building the Padma Bridge with own finance after the World Bank’s withdrawal of funding the project bringing false allegations of corruption which later proved baseless through a Canadian court verdict.

At the function, Bangladesh Ambassador to Poland Sultana Laila Hossain and Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki have been awarded the “Bangabandhu Medal for Diplomatic Excellence”, introduced last year, marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

On behalf of the prime minister, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen handed over the certificates to the awardees.

The award recipients expressed their feelings on awarding the medal joining the programme virtually.

The prime minister also unveiled a book titled “Bangabandhu Corners around the World” and formally launched identical websites for all Bangladesh missions abroad.

An audio-visual presentation on the newly constructed 8-storey building of the Foreign Ministry and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam spoke on the occasion, and its Senior Secretary Masud Bin Momen delivered the welcome address.