Not snapping ties with Myanmar, says Tofail
Bangladesh wanted to resolve the Rohingya crisis diplomatically and not by severing ties or waging a war with Myanmar, commerce minister Tofail Ahmed said yesterday.
We would like to urge global leaders to put pressure on the Myanmarese government to stop the brutal persecution of their Rohingya citizens and take them back from Bangladesh, the minister told reporters at the Secretariat.
He said that over three lakh Rohingyas have already entered Bangladesh in recent days due to repression by the Myanmarese security forces. Around 6.25 lakh Rohingyas were already staying in Bangladesh, he added.
The Bangladesh government is giving shelter to the Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds. Bangladesh is working to push back the Rohingyas to their native country, Myanmar, with the help of world leaders and people, Tofail said.
The minister also criticised BNP for trying to score political points over the humanitarian crisis. The people have rejected BNP due to their negative mentality. Unlike them, the whole world has appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas efforts to give shelter to the Rohingyas, he said. In a related development, the PM is likely to visit Coxs Bazar today to meet the Rohingya refugees who have taken shelter in Ukhyas Kutupalong and adjacent areas.
It is estimated that over three lakh Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh following resurgence of violence in Myanmars Rakhine state. Myanmarese security forces had unleashed violent attacks, including mass killings and burnings of villages, against Rohingyas after Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) rebels torched 30 police posts and an army camp on August 25.
