The cabinet division suggested the foreign ministry should finalise its proposal for a special law to punish those who are providing shelter and support to Rohingya Muslims illegally entering and living in Bangladesh.
The ministry of foreign affairs, under the direction of the government, already prepared a draft strategy paper on the Rohingya issue, putting forward a total of 25 proposals.
The ministry sent the strategy paper to the relevant ministries for their opinion.
Following the letter, the cabinet division made some amendments to the proposals of the draft strategy paper and included new one.
NGOs that are working on Rohingya issues should not be allowed to work in that area without prior permission from the government officials entitled to work there, one of the amended proposals said.
The government may form different taskforces for districts and upazilas under the leadership of deputy commissioners (DCs) or upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs).
The taskforces will visit the area once or twice per month to reinforce the provision strictly and resist the illegal entry of Rohingya, says the strategy paper.
The proposal of cabinet division also suggested increasing the Border Observation Posts (BOP) and observation towers, and amending the forest conservation act to construct approach roads and BOPs in that area.
The paper said those who provide shelter and support to Rohingya people must be brought under the law, stressing the need to empower officials working at the Rohingya camps with magistracy power by incorporating it into the mobile court act.
The letter was sent to the foreign ministry on Tuesday, signed by Altaf Hossain Sheikh, the senior assistant secretary of the cabinet division.
According to the disaster management and relief ministry, at least 450,000 Rohingyas who entered illegally have been living in Bangladesh for a long time.
Of them only 40,000 were registered as refugees under the supervision of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
The rest have been living illegally outside refugee camps at Ukhia and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar.
Rohingya Muslims left their country and sought refuge in Bangladesh due to the political unrest and communal riots in Myanmar.
The EU, UNHCR and US along with other national and international agencies are giving assistances to the Rohingya to live in Bangladesh.
