Adviser Touhid calls for national consensus to resolve Rohingya crisis

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has underlined the need for a national consensus to address the Rohingya crisis, which has been further complicated by the ongoing civil war in Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine State.

“We achieved far less than we could have because there was no national consensus on Rohingya policy,” Touhid said urging political parties to unify on the issue.

He was addressing a national dialogue on Rohingya policy organised by the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) of North South University (NSU) at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) on Sunday, reports BSS.

Touhid laid emphasis on importance of developing a minimum level of deterrence—not for war, but to demonstrate Bangladesh’s strength and engage in multilateral negotiations.

Myanmar must come to the negotiation, If they are unwilling, they need to understand there will be consequences, he said.

Touhid reiterated that the displaced Rohingyas must return to Myanmar with guaranteed rights and safety to ensure a sustainable resolution to the crisis.

“We need a solution where they won’t return in five years. Rohingyas must go back with rights, and security,” he said.

Touhid described the Rohingya crisis as Bangladesh’s most pressing international issue, worsening with time.

He stressed the importance of maintaining international support in handling the situation.

Since July last, over 50,000 more Myanmar nationals, including Rohingyas and other ethnic groups, have fled to Bangladesh amid fierce clashes between Myanmar’s junta forces and the Arakan Army (AA), which now controls approximately 80 per cent of Rakhine State.

Touhid said that while Bangladesh cannot directly engage non-state actors like the AA, the Rohingya crisis cannot be resolved without considering the AA’s control over Rakhine State.

“Ignoring the AA would not be realistic,” he added.

He also advocated for providing Rohingya children with education up to class X and imparting skills training to prepare them for eventual repatriation.

High Representative of the Chief Adviser for Rohingya and Priority Affairs, Dr Khalilur Rahman warned that the global community’s attention to the Rohingya issue is waning.

However, he noted that the current government is striving to rekindle international focus through a UN Conference on Rohingya planned for early next year.