Acknowledging the difficult situation, Bangladesh has strongly conveyed to the United States that peace will not return to Myanmar even the war ends there unless the Rohingya problem is resolved.
“If the Rohingya problem is not resolved, peace will not come to Myanmar even after the war ends. I strongly said this,” Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told reporters today (18 April) referring to his discussion with the US delegation held yesterday (17 April).
Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.2 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char Island.
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Talking to reporters at the Foreign Service Academy, Adviser Hossain said they also conveyed to the US side that they are now in a new reality and in fact in new reality, they are now facing new neighbours; who are non-state actors.
“So we cannot deal with them directly, nor we can ignore them. This is a difficult situation,” he said.
The adviser said maybe at some point the problem will settle down and move towards a solution.
“Then those who are our friends and powerful states will have to create pressure there,” he said, adding that the Rohingys need to be seen humanely and their rights need to restored in Myanmar.
Rohingyas can’t be repatriated safely amid current situation in Rakhine: Khalilur
The US delegation comprising of US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) Nicole Ann Chulick and Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Andrew R Herrup met Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain, National Security Adviser and High Representative to Chief Adviser Khalilur Rahman and Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin separately and discussed the issues of mutual interest.
Adviser Hossain said Nicole Chulick highlighted bilateral issues while Andrew Herrup’s focus was on Myanmar issues.
Bangladesh sought greater political and humanitarian support from the United States to help address the Rohingya crisis.
“We broadly discussed the Rohingya issue,” Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin said yesterday (17 April).
Both sides expressed a “strong commitment” to further advancing the Bangladesh-US partnership to a “newer height” in the days to come.
