Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
Dr Khalilur Rahman, High Representative on the Rohingya Crisis and Matters of Priority to the Chief Adviser, said on Friday that Bangladesh would not take any hasty steps regarding the Rohingya issue without a proper assessment of the emerging situation in Rakhine State, Myanmar.
“We’re keeping watch on the emerging situation in Rakhine… We don’t want to do anything hastily. We’ll not take any steps without deep consideration,” he said while joining a discussion in the capital via a virtual platform.
Unity for Bangladesh, a non-profit youth-based voluntary organisation, arranged the discussion titled ‘Rohingya Crisis and Regional Security: Pertinent Considerations of Bangladesh’ at Professor Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium in Dhaka University in the afternoon.
Dr Rahman said the issue is not only a humanitarian matter but also an issue of internal security or national security for Bangladesh. “So, we’ll take our next steps following sufficient assessments,” he said.
He noted that a standoff situation continues in Rakhine State, as the Arakan Army has taken control of about 80-85 per cent of the area, particularly the mainlands of the Rohingya, which have completely come under the control of the Arakan Army, a non-state actor.
Dr Rahman stated that Bangladesh needs to wait until the final situation in Myanmar is clear. “Our future engagement will depend on the situation that stands there,” he added.
Prof. CR Abrar, an expert on migration and refugee issues, stressed the need for significant investment in the Rohingya community for their education, health, livelihood, and other training to enable them to repatriate to their motherland with dignity and recognition of their identity.
He said Bangladesh needs to choose its allies to educate this community, as it is an international responsibility. He added that all international bodies and communities would be eager to provide all forms of support for their education, health, and training purposes.
Noting that what has been done in the name of their education is ineffective, Prof. Abrar said, “If they could stand in a strong position, then both the Arakan Army and Burmese Junta will take them back.”
He emphasized that Bangladesh should make a significant departure from its current policy and enable the community so they can defend themselves and their rights.
“I think our strength (in dealing with the Rohingya issue) will come when we make a significant investment in this community,” said Prof. Abrar.
Lt Gen (retd) Mahfuzur Rahman, former principal staff officer at the Armed Forces Division, stressed the need to adopt a proper policy to take advantage of the geopolitical and geostrategic situation. “I think we need to revisit our existing policy,” he said.
He emphasised the need for developing the Rohingya as human resources and creating leadership among them.
Mahfuzur stated that Bangladesh missed its opportunity three times between 2017 and 2024 to find a solution to the Rohingya issue, and now it is going to miss the fourth opportunity.
He said Bangladesh missed the first opportunity by not keeping displaced Rohingya in no man’s land during the 2017 exodus, the second one in 2022 by refusing the Arakan Army when its chief sought humanitarian support and sympathy from Bangladesh and stated they would take back the Rohingya, and the third one in February 2024 by not relocating some Rohingyas to a place inside Myanmar when the Bangladesh-Myanmar border remained unguarded for three weeks following the flight of Myanmar’s Border Guard Police.
Noting that now the National Unity Government is willing to accept the Rohingyas and provide them citizenship, the retired general said Bangladesh might miss this opportunity as well.
Maj Gen (retd) Nayeem Ashfak Chowdhury, a security analyst, and Dr Saima Ahmed, an international relations teacher at Dhaka University, as well as writer Altaf Parvez, also spoke at the discussion, which was presided over by Monzur Moin, the spokesman of Unity for Bangladesh.