Resolve Rohingya crisis before it’s too late: PM to OIC

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the OIC member states to show a unity for solving the Rohingya crisis before it is too late.

"I call upon OIC countries to show a unity to solve the Rohingya crisis before it is too late. Bangladeshis ready to join any initiative that OIC plans to take," she said.

The Prime Minister said this while she was speaking at the Meeting of OIC Contact Group on Rohingya Muslim Minority at the UN Headquarters on the sidelines of the 72nd UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

Mentioning that the crisis has its root in Myanmar and its solution has to be found in the country too, Hasina said, "We want to see an end of the 'ethnic cleansing'. The plights of our Muslim brothers and sisters need to be stopped as well."

She also placed some proposals before the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), reports UNB.

The Prime Minister said all forms of atrocities against the Rohingya Muslims must be stopped immediately and 'safe zones' may be created inside Myanmar to protect the innocent civilians, especially women, children and elderly.

Hasina mentioned that all forcibly displaced Rohingy as must be able to return to their homeland safety, security and dignity, and the recommendations of the Kofi Annan Commission will have to be implemented immediately and unconditionally in its entirety.

"The state-sponsored propaganda to identify Rohingyas as 'Bangalees' must stop and the Muslim brotherly countries should help Bangladesh with urgent humanitarian assistance till they return to Myanmar," she said.

The Prime Minister mentioned that now the Muslim brothers and sisters in the country face 'ethnic cleansing' and the ongoing military operations by the Myanmar authorities have created havoc in the Rakhine State.

Hasina invited the leaders of OIC member states to visit Bangladesh and hear the stories of the Rohingyas how they fled the persecution in Myanmar.

The Prime Minister informed the OIC members that they might have also seen in the media that Myanmaris planting landmines along their stretch of the border to stop return of Rohingyas to their homeland.

Sheikh Hasina also sought "urgent humanitarian assistance" from the Muslim brotherly countries for Bangladesh for handling the influx of Rohingyas Muslims fleeing their home.

The premier informed the OIC leaders that since 25th August last, over 400,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh crossing land and river, 60 per cent of them being children.