Episode: KPN 21-08-2022
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Bangladesh hopeful of Rohingya repatriation before year end
Bangladesh is optimistic about starting Rohingya repatriation before the end of this year, said Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen today as the fifth years of anniversary of the Rohingya influx will be observed on August 25.
Despite repeated efforts in the last five years, no Rohingya could be repatriated from Bangladesh that is sheltering 1.1 million Rohingyas.
“We are hopeful we can start the repatriation by the end of the year. We are trying to do it for our own interest because they are becoming a burden for us.”
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen
“We are hopeful we can start the repatriation by the end of the year. We are trying to do it for our own interest because they are becoming a burden for us,” he told reporters after a meeting of the National Task Force on Rohingyas at the foreign ministry today (August 21, 2022).
UN agencies including that of the UN Resident Coordinator, UN Refugee Agency, International Organization for Migration, UN Food Programme, Unicef, UN Population Fund, and officials form the ministries of foreign affairs, disaster management, home affairs were present.
The meeting is held just a day before UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, starts a four-day visit to Bangladesh today following a visit to Myanmar where she highlighted Myanmar’s responsibility for conducive conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingyas.
At the meeting, Masud Bin Momen said, UN presented the quick impact projects that the UN agencies are implementing in Rakhine villages. Besides, China, Japan, and India are also working to improve conditions there.
He said Bangladesh government sought more information from the UN agencies on the projects they are implementing, including the videos so that those can be presented to the Rohingyas as a confidence building measure.
The foreign secretary said the taskforce has adopted two policies – one on skill development and capacity building of the Rohingyas for livelihood so that they can use it when they return to Myanmar and the other one is on appointing volunteers from the Rohingya and host community.
An important update was that the WFP will soon start providing food assistance to the 30,000 Rohingyas shifted to Bhashan Char from Cox’s Bazar. So far, mainly local NGOs were providing the food assistance.
The WFP will soon start providing food assistance to the 30,000 Rohingyas shifted to Bhashan Char from Cox’s Bazar. So far, mainly local NGOs were providing the food assistance. So, we think there would be no problem of food for the Rohigyas in Bhashan Char until December.”
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen
“So, we think there would be no problem of food for the Rohigyas in Bhashan Char until December,” Masud bin Momen said.
He said the government also requested the UN Population Fund to bolster their programme on educating on family planning. Every year some 30,000 Rohingya children are born, he said.
Masud bin Momen also said that Bangladesh Water Resources Secretary Kabir Bin Anwar is going to New Delhi today for secretary-level meeting tomorrow (August 22, 2022) ahead of the ministerial level Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting on August 24. The JRC meeting will be held after 12 years.
“This is a positive development that the JRC meeting is going to be held before prime minister’s visit to India early September,” he said.
He said there could be development on the use of water of Kushiara river for Bangladesh as well as renewal of the Ganges Agreement due in 2026.
“We have not only water sharing issue when it comes to JRC. We can also cooperate in flood control and data sharing etc,” the foreign secretary said.
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