Bangladesh needs fund to support Rohingyas

Up until now the international community has done little to force Myanmar authorities to give back Rohingya Muslims their citizenship and create atmosphere for their safe return to the Rakhine state. As Rohingyas did not feel that there was no guarantee that they would be not be again tortured, they rather loudly expressed their desire not to go back to their homeland when their first batch was about to leave Bangladesh to Myanmar a few months ago. After that, there was hardly any serious effort for their repatriation.

As the process of repatriation will be delayed, Bangladesh will have the burden of supporting the lives of more than half a million Rohingyas in the camps of Cox’s Bazar. Before the last exodus of Rohingyas began in July 2017, there had been approximately four lakh Rohingyas already living in Bangladesh. For a country like Bangladesh that is struggling to feed its own huge population, another one million is a very big number.

Bangladesh was showered huge praise by various international bodies and the richer nations for hosting the Rohingyas who were undergoing violence and torture. But their aid for supporting them is still scanty. Against this backdrop, we had a piece of news yesterday that World Bank approved a $165 million grant to help Bangladesh provide basic services and build disaster and social resilience for the Rohingyas. This is the third in a series of planned financings of approximately half a billion dollars announced by the World Bank in June 2018.  Such help is very vital for Bangladesh as Rohingya influx has placed enormous pressure on local infrastructure, services and public resources. Nobody should wish such a great number of people live in an unhealthy and unsafe atmosphere of the congested camps at Cox’s Bazar. They must have healthy sanitary and hygiene system and their children must go to school. There should be adequate maternity service also. And Bangladesh will not be able to provide them that unless it is supported by richer nations and the international community.

While providing financial help, the international communities must continue to press Myanmar government to create all conditions for safe return of Rohingyas at the earliest. The world must remember Rogingyas are citizens of Myanmar, not Bangladesh.    

 

 

Bangladesh needs fund to support Rohingyas

Up until now the international community has done little to force Myanmar authorities to give back Rohingya Muslims their citizenship and create atmosphere for their safe return to the Rakhine state. As Rohingyas did not feel that there was no guarantee that they would be not be again tortured, they rather loudly expressed their desire not to go back to their homeland when their first batch was about to leave Bangladesh to Myanmar a few months ago. After that, there was hardly any serious effort for their repatriation. As the process of repatriation will be delayed, Bangladesh will have the burden of supporting the lives of more than half a million Rohingyas in the camps of Coxs Bazar. Before the last exodus of Rohingyas began in July 2017, there had been approximately four lakh Rohingyas already living in Bangladesh. For a country like Bangladesh that is struggling to feed its own huge population, another one million is a very big number. Bangladesh was showered huge praise by various international bodies and the richer nations for hosting the Rohingyas who were undergoing violence and torture. But their aid for supporting them is still scanty. Against this backdrop, we had a piece of news yesterday that World Bank approved a $165 million grant to help Bangladesh provide basic services and build disaster and social resilience for the Rohingyas. This is the third in a series of planned financings of approximately half a billion dollars announced by the World Bank in June 2018. Such help is very vital for Bangladesh as Rohingya influx has placed enormous pressure on local infrastructure, services and public resources. Nobody should wish such a great number of people live in an unhealthy and unsafe atmosphere of the congested camps at Coxs Bazar. They must have healthy sanitary and hygiene system and their children must go to school. There should be adequate maternity service also. And Bangladesh will not be able to provide them that unless it is supported by richer nations and the international community. While providing financial help, the international communities must continue to press Myanmar government to create all conditions for safe return of Rohingyas at the earliest. The world must remember Rogingyas are citizens of Myanmar, not Bangladesh.