Prolonged presence of rohingyas in Bangladesh is 'not tenable'

Foreign Minister (FM) Dr AK Abdul Momen has said prolonged presence of 1.2 million displaced Rohingya population in Bangladesh is "not tenable" in any consideration, reports UNB.

The FM referred to the negative impacts of impasse in repatriation of the displaced Rohingyas, leading to various security challenges for Bangladesh and the region.

"Bangladesh is a small country - with high population density and is also already overburdened with other critical challenges of its own," Momen said while speaking at a discussion in New York on February 23.

Referring to the recently adopted Security Council resolution, the Foreign Minister called for urgent and coordinated actions involving all stakeholders to achieve the deliverables proposed in the Council resolution and other General Assembly Resolutions on Rohingya.

He particularly stressed the importance of the leadership of ASEAN countries.

FM Momen held the high-level interactive dialogue on the Rohingya crisis with participation of key members States (Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Djibouti, Egypt, The Gambia, Indonesia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Senegal, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America) and the European Union and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The discussion focused on possible concerted efforts by all relevant stakeholders towards the implementation of the recently adopted UN Security Council Resolution on Myanmar (2669) and other General Assembly Resolutions adopted earlier on the Rohingya crisis.

The participants expressed their commitment to remain engaged for the durable and sustainable solutions of the Rohingya crisis including through the implementation of ASEAN's five-point consensus which is an important stepping stone for the lasting solution to the Rohingya crisis.

They also highlighted the need for addressing root causes of the crisis, according to Bangladesh Mission in the UN.

The participants also expressed their deep appreciation to the Government of Bangladesh for hosting and providing all necessary humanitarian supports to more than 1.2 billion Rohingya in Bangladesh.