Bangladesh seeks India’s help for Rohingya repatriation

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen sought help from India and other countries in the region for the repatriation of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals to their country.

"I am talking about the massive influx of Maynamar nationals in Bangladesh who have been forcibly pushed out of their own country and Bangladesh is providing them with food and shelter on humanitarian grounds," Momen said today at the inaugural session of the two-day Asian Confluence River Conclave, Natural Allies in Development and Interdependence 3 (NADI-3), in Guwahati of India.

The minister also said that Rohingya refugees staying in the country could turn to extremism, reports Hindustan Times.

The session was attended by a host of dignitaries including Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and ambassadors and high commissioners of several South East Asian countries including Myanmar.

Since 25 August in 2017, Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million forcefully displaced Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar district and most of them arrived there after a military crackdown by Myanmar, which the UN called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing" and other rights groups dubbed as "genocide".

"They are temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh for the last five years and they all want to go back to their motherland. Since, repatriation has not been started yet, they are getting frustrated and many are getting involved in criminal activities like drugs and human trafficking, violence and crimes," Momen said.

"We are afraid that such activities might create pockets of extremism and radicalism and may lead to uncertainty in the whole region. Therefore, their reparation must be done quickly. I solicit your help and support in this regard," he added.

Momen said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had taken steps to end extremism and terrorism in the region (by dealing sternly with rebel groups from northeastern region who had camps in the country).

"Because of that, security and stability of this region has enhanced and this helped in economic activity and development of the whole region including Bangladesh and neighbouring countries. We should work together to maintain stability and security of this region by repatriating this displaced and persecuted people from Bangladesh's soil," he said.