Bangladesh has sought support from Britain for the repatriation of displaced Myanmar nationals, known as the Rohingya refugees.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has proposed that the United Kingdom, a global leader in justice and human rights, considers resettling one lakh Rohingyas currently sheltered in Bangladesh to give them a better life and lessen the unfair Rohingya burden on Bangladesh.
On June 27, the Bangladesh minister made the proposal during a bilateral meeting with his British counterpart Elizabeth Truss. Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem was present during the meeting that took place in Kigali on the side-lines of the just-held Commonwealth Summit.
During the meeting, British Secretary of State Elizabeth Truss thanked Bangladesh’s generous hosting of the Rohingyas and responded that “while the UK could look into it, the best solution to the Rohingya crisis, however, lies in their safe and sustainable return to their homeland in Myanmar”.
Foreign Minister Momen briefed his British counterpart Secretary Truss about the status of the protracted Rohingya crisis and stalemate in the process of their safe and sustainable returns to Myanmar in the absence of political commitment of the Myanmar government, according to Bangladesh High Commission in London.
Expressing concern of the British government at the current political turmoil in Myanmar, Truss reiterated UK’s continued commitment to resolve the Rohingya crisis and assured that together with the ASEAN and fellow G7 countries, UK would put increased pressure on Myanmar for a sustainable resolution of the Rohingya crisis.
Giving historic references to earlier instances of en masse influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh in the 70s and 90s, and their subsequent voluntary repatriation by Myanmar through agreements and accords with Bangladesh, Momen noted that Myanmar took them back as they were under sanctions at that time by the West, which is not the present case, while UK and other western countries continue to invest heavily into Myanmar, despite living proof of their persecution of Rohingyas and adjudication of their justice.
Momen also called upon the UK government to create pressure on Myanmar for the immediate repatriation of their Rohingyas from the country because Bangladesh cannot continue to take the burden of 1.1 million forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals any longer.
