Put pressure on Myanmar to take back Rohingya

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged Saturday the OIC countries to put pressure on Myanmar to ensure safe and dignified return of the Rohingya.

"OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) must continue to put pressure on Myanmar to ensure that Myanmar will repatriate the Rohingya who are their citizens with proper safety in line with the arrangement signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh."

Addressing the inaugural session of the 45th Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the OIC in Dhaka, the prime minister noted that Bangladesh gave shelter to the around 1.1 million Rohingya who were forced to leave their homeland in Myanmar, on humanitarian ground.

"We have opened both our conscience and border for the distressed humanity," Hasina said, adding that she realised the pain of the Rohingya who were forced to leave their homeland because she herself was forced to live in exile for six years after the assassination of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

"I am requesting the OIC to stand firmly by Rohingyas so that their dignity and security can be ensured," she said.

Referring to the message of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to stand by the distressed humanity, she said "OIC fraternity cannot overlook it when the Rohingya community of Myanmar is being subjected to ethnic cleansing." "The Rohingya deserve the right to live with dignity like us."

Presenting a dismal picture of the Muslim ummah, the prime minister said that the Muslim world faces so much conflicts, internal strife, division, instability and forcible displacement of people on a large scale.

She put forward five proposals to overhaul the strategic planning of the OIC: Keeping trust in basic Islamic faith, banish sectarian mindset and stop using religion as a tool for divisive purposes or narrow political ends, resolving all conflicts peacefully and solving all issues politically without giving any scope of interference and intervention to detractors ; living an enlightened life of self-awareness in appropriate with the modern society without compromising their fundamental faith to stamp out Islamophobia; taking up a fast-track development course to eliminate poverty and hunger and addressing humanitarian exigencies and collective actions to implement the OIC-2025 Programme; and constantly seeking inspiration and strength from the eternal values of Islam.

Stressing the need for reform within the OIC, she said, comprehensively reformed OIC is required to deliver in a result-oriented manner," she added.

"We should stop supply of arms; stop flow of financing for terrorism; remove divisions within the Ummah, and pursue peaceful settlement of conflicts through dialogue resulting in a win-win situation," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said that with one-fifth of the world's population, more than a third of the world's strategic resources and a number of rising economies with immense prospects, the Muslim world has no reason to remain behind or fall in disrespect.

Earlier, OIC Secretary General presented a Gilaf of Holy Kaaba to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina inaugurated a commemorative postal stamp, marking the 45th Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of OIC countries.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and Secretary-General of OIC Yousef A Othaimeen attended the function as the special guests. In her address, the Canadian foreign minister lauded Bangladesh for providing shelter to the Rohingya and reiterated Canada's commitment to protecting minority rights.

She said that Canada keeps the Rohingya issue on its priority list and would extend cooperation to the international community in resolving the crisis.

On the occasion, chair of the 44th CFM and Foreign Minister of C"te d'Ivoire Marcel Amon-Tanoh handed over the chairmanship of 45th CFM to Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali.

Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey and representative of OIC Summit chair Bekir Bozdag also addressed the function while Vice Minister of Indonesia on foreign affairs Abdurrahman Mohammad Fachir, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir and Foreign Minister of Senegal Sidiki Kaba spoke on the occasion respectively from Asia, Arab and Africa groups.

The inaugural session was followed by working session. The concluding day has a special session dedicated to the Rohingya crisis.

A Dhaka declaration will be announced at the end of the two-day council.

Addressing the session, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said the world was witnessing the persecution and purging of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

He said the OIC should take strong actions, manifesting solidarity with them and strengthen efforts in persuading the government of Myanmar to take urgent measures for a sustainable return of the Rohingya to their homeland in Rakhine.

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