Repatriation is only solution of Rohingya crisis: Hasan Mahmud tells Charles Whiteley

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday (17 January) said repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar is the only solution to the Rohingya crisis.

"The only solution of this crisis is to repatriate the Rohingyas with full-fledged citizen rights," he told journalists after meeting with European Union Ambassador Charles Whiteley at his ministry office here.

Replying to a query, Hasan said that the world's attention has transformed from the Rohingya crisis because of the Corona pandemic, the Ukraine war and the indiscriminate killing in Gaza. "I told the EU ambassador that Bangladesh is a densely populated country... another 1.5 million extra people is a huge burden for us".

The foreign minister said the Rohingyas are Myanmar citizens. Two decades ago there was a Rohingya minister in Myanmar's cabinet... The only solution to this problem is repatriating the Rohingyas to their homeland with full civil rights and dignity.

Earlier, emerging from the meeting Charles termed his maiden meeting with the new foreign minister, as a "forward-looking discussion".

"This is a very much forward-looking discussion, about how now we (EU) will build the bricks of modern relationship with Bangladesh," he told reporters.

The envoy said the EU is going to start negotiations with Bangladesh on the Partnership Cooperation Agreement very soon which he sees as a new generation deal involving wide-ranging issues.

"I think the next five years will be seeing a step change in our relationship and that would be driven by the new partnership cooperation agreement," he said.

The ambassador said they talked about the Bangladesh and EU cooperation on the Rohingya crisis, climate change and renewable energy.

Besides, he said, they also talked about global situations, like "what's happening in the Middle East, Russian aggression in Ukraine- which is of course a huge priority for the European Union".

 "So, it is a very fruitful first meeting and dynamic discussion and we look forward to the European Union taking forward EU-Bangladesh relations with the honourable (Bangladesh) Prime Minister," Charles said.

Replying to a query whether the ambassador raised any question regarding the January 7th election, the EU envoy said, "No, the election happened and we made (our) statement on that, this (today's meeting) is a very much forward-looking discussion."

Charles expressed his joy that Hasan Mahmud had very strong connections with Belgium, which is the headquarters of the European Union.