Bangladesh won’t allow fresh Rohingya intrusion: Obaidul Quader

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said on Wednesday that there is no scope to show generosity by allowing more Rohingyas to enter Bangladesh amid the ongoing clashes in Myanmar.

“We are talking to the people concerned so that the internal conflict in Myanmar does not become a reason for fear or concern for us,” he said at Setu Bhaban in the capital this noon.

“The government is particularly discussing it with China and India. Myanmar’s ambassador to Bangladesh has been summoned. They said they would take back those who fled to Bangladesh,” he said.

Mentioning that Bangladesh will no longer allow Rohingyas to enter its territory, he said, “Earlier, we opened the border out of generosity. Now there is no chance to show that generosity. They have become a burden for us. International aid has been greatly reduced. How long are we going to bear this burden?”

Earlier in the morning, Quader said that the government is implementing the road safety project at a cost of around Tk 50 billion (Tk 5,000 crore) to prevent road accidents.

He said this at a press briefing after a meeting with a delegation of the World Bank led by its Country Director, Abdoulaye Seck.

The five-year project will continue end in June 2028, he said.

The minister said he was not satisfied with the progress of the project.

“Road accidents and damages couldn’t be reduced. From now on, I will supervise and monitor the road safety project as a priority project. Strict action will be taken if anyone is involved in corruption in development projects,” he added.