A woman crosses a makeshift bridge in the Chakmakul camp for Rohingya refugees in southern Bangladesh, February 13, 2018. REUTERS/Andrew RC Marshall/Files
MUMBAI, MARCH 27 (IANS): Following intense engagement and continuous global pressures, Myanmar last week entered an agreement with Bangladesh to repatriate, in phases, the Rohingyas who took refuge there, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali said on Tuesday.
"We need to sustain the ongoing international pressure. We believe India would continue its support in the coming days as well to maintain the momentum of the international pressure for securing the rights of these displaced people in Myanmar," he said while giving a talk on "Current trends of the Indo-Bangladesh relationship" at the Mumbai Press Club.
Ali urged the cooperation of India and Bangladesh to resolve the Rohingya issue, which he termed as "one of the world humanitarian crisis in the modern world" affecting these "citizenshipless citizens".
He said that since in August 2017, around 700,000 Rohingyas entered Bangladesh and with the existing 400,000 already present, the figure shot up to more than one million.
"We have been giving them 'temporary' shelter on humanitarian consideration, but the ultimate solution is that they have to go back to their homes in Myanmar," he stressed.
However, he said that despite the Rohingya problem, both Bangladesh and Myanmar continue to enjoy very friendly bilateral relations.
"The core problem of the issue is the refusal of Myanmar to recognize them as their citizens, although they have been living there for centuries as their citizens," Ali pointed out.
In this context, he said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has tabled a five-point solution to resolve the crisis at the last UN General Assembly.
Owing to the intense engagement and continuous global pressures, Bangladesh concluded a 'Physical Arrangement' with Myanmar last week by which Myanmar has agreed to repatriate the Rohgingyas who took refuge in Bangladesh.
