The Awami League (AL) is optimistic that neighbouring countries India and China will stand beside the Bangladesh government to overcome the Rohingya crisis. The party has already started scampering to drum up support of the international community, including the two neighbours, on the Rohingya issue. As part of the party's plan, AL central leaders, including its general secretary Obaidul Quader, will visit India soon to discuss the Rohingya issue and the next general election, insiders said.

An 18-member delegation, led by AL presidium member Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Faruk Khan and former foreign minister Dipu Moni, will leave Dhaka for Beijing today on the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

India and China have already backed the Myanmar government and called upon the international community to support the efforts made by Myanmar on the Rohingya issue. But the central leaders of the ruling party believe that even after that, the two countries will stand beside Bangladesh to face the Rohingya crisis. They expressed optimism that since Bangladesh shares

good relations with bothIndia and China, the two Asian giants would put pressure on the Myanmarese government to resolve the issue.

Talking to this correspondent, Lt. Col. (Retd) Faruk Khan said: “We'll discuss the Rohingya issue during the talks with the CPC and try to convince them so that they put pressure on the Myanmar government.”

“We're hopeful that India and China will be with Bangladesh as both countries have not said anything against Bangladesh. Also, the government is getting the sympathy of the international community on the Rohingya issue,” he added.

“We're not disappointed. We're optimistic that Indian and Chinese governments will stand beside the Bangladesh government in resolving the Rohingya crisis,” said AL joint general secretary Dipu Moni.

“We've already appealed to the international community, including India and China, to help the Bangladesh government to overcome the present crisis,” she added.

Earlier, road, transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader expressed hope that India would stand beside Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue. “Our neighbouring country India supports Bangladesh now as it did during our War of Independence in 1971,” he said.

At a press conference yesterday, information minister Hasanul Huq Inu said  that Bangladesh will deal with Myanmar through diplomatic channels to put a peaceful end to the Rohingya crisis. “The Rohingya crisis is an ethnic problem. It’s not a religious issue,” he added.

Inu said the Sheikh Hasina government will place its demands before the international community during the ongoing UN General Assembly.

He also said the Bangladesh government will urge the United Nation (UN) to form a probe body to investigate atrocities committed by the Myanmarese security forces in Rakhine State. “Peaceful deportation and rehabilitation of Rohingyas on their own land is the only solution to put an end to the crisis and Bangladesh wants it,” he added.

According to the United Nations, over three lakh Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh following brutal persecution by the Myanmarese security forces that started on August 25.