The Rohingya crisis, if unresolved, will have a severe impact on peace and security in the region and beyond, home minister Asaduzamman Khan warned the United Nations.
He also mentioned that the presence of large number of Rohingyas, who had to cross into Cox’s Bazar to escape the atrocities of the Myanmar security forces, local Buddhist mobs and people from other ethnic groups in Rakhine, has had an adverse effect on the socioeconomic and environmental conditions of host areas.
Speaking at a high-level meeting styled ‘Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace’ organised by the president of the UN general assembly on Tuesday, the home minister called for the implantation of the five-point recommendations placed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the UNGA and those of the Annan commission to resolve the crisis.
He was representing Prime Minister Hasina at the meeting, according to a press release forwarded by the Bangladesh permanent mission at the UN yesterday.
Referring to Bangladesh’s zero tolerance approach against terrorism, the home minister said, “We are determined so that our soil is not used by anybody against any of our neighbouring countries. We have always attached special importance to the close involvement of local people in fighting fundamentalism and violent extremism.”
“Peace will not come without development and development will not be ensured without peace,” he said.
Minister Khan described Bangladesh as a reliable partner of the UN peacekeeping activities and said, “We have been utilising our capability and professionalism in the best possible manner for last three decades in facing complex challenges including providing security for the civilians. We are always vocal in terms of preventing sexual violence in conflict.”
Close and dynamic political process is essential in the UN peacekeeping, he observed, adding that instead of decreasing the financial allocation for the development and humanitarian assistance, it is very important to ensure increased and confirmed funding for the UN peacekeeping activities.
Representatives of 131 countries and organisations attended the meeting.