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6 years ago

'Amnesty report not to affect Rohingya repatriation talks'

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Bangladesh has ruled out any negative impact over the ongoing Rohingya repatriation talks between Bangladesh and Myanmar due to Amnesty International's (AI's) new report.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali came up with the statement on Wednesday, reports UNB.

"I don't think the ongoing discussion (over Rohingya repatriation) will be affected. It (AI's claim) is nothing logical. Nobody believes it," he said.

The minister questioned why the Amnesty International came up with the report so late and said they might have some intention behind it.

Earlier on Tuesday, a report of Amnesty International claimed Rohingya Muslim militants in Myanmar killed dozens of Hindu civilians during attacks last August.

"The group called Arsa killed up to 99 Hindu civilians in one, or possibly two massacre," the AI report claimed.

Mahmood Ali said the AI talked on many issues but from where they got the information.

Referring to Myanmar military version who claimed in 2017 that Rohingyas attack with domestic knives, he said with these things how Rohingyas can carry out armed attack?

Earlier, international analyst Prof Ali Riaz said if the Myanmar military and government try to use this as a justification for their brutal actions and shift the blame to ARSA, it will only reveal their duplicitous nature.

"It'll appear very pathetic," the Distinguished Prof of the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University, USA told Dhaka Courier.

He said the report is disconcerting, particularly to know that common people had been targeted for their religious and ethnic identities. "Such heinous acts should to be condemned unequivocally."

Responding to a question on India's position, Minister Ali said, "This is not correct that India is doing nothing."

He said he felt sorry that the same question is raised though he addressed it several times. "May be you do not notice (what I said on India's position). I'm very sad for that."

Asked about the repatriation of Rohingyas, the Foreign Minister said he will not give any timeframe. "But I'm hopeful."

He said the entire world is with Bangladesh and pressure on Myanmar is building up. "International pressure is increasing gradually on Myanmar. Things are moving."

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed the repatriation agreement on November 23, 2017.

On January 16, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a document on 'Physical Arrangement' which will facilitate the return of Rohingyas to their homeland from Bangladesh.

The 'Physical Arrangement' stipulates that the repatriation will be completed preferably within two years from the start of repatriation.

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