Ershad: Bangladesh has to take permanent responsibility of the Rohingya

Jatiya Party Chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad expressed his doubts regarding the Myanmar government repatriating the Rohingya refugees. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s special envoy made the above statement while talking to reporters at his Rangpur residence on Sunday, reports Bangla Tribune. He said: “I do not believe that the Myanmar government will ever take back the Rohingya refugees. We will have to take responsibility for them and provide them with food and shelter.” “Even if it is extremely difficult to give shelter to such an overwhelming number of refugees, we need to start planning on permanently accommodating them,” he added. While criticising Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s failure to condemn the crisis, he pointed out that her proposal to take back a small number of refugees is “nothing but fraudulence.” “The Rohingya do not carry any ID cards or visas. How could she possibly pick a few from thousands of them? Ultimately, we will have to bear their responsibility,” he further said.

Jatiya Party’s election campaign

Ershad reached Saidpur Airport around 10am on Sunday. He then came to his residence at Darshana in Rangpur, where the local Jatiya Party leaders welcomed him. When asked about the rumour that Jatiya Party will give Awami League two seats from Rangpur district during the next general election, Ershad denied it. He said: “This is nothing but a rumour. I have already declared the nominations for two seats and Jatiya Party will participate in the election for all six seats from Rangpur.” “I came to Rangpur to begin my campaign for the next election in advance. I am also going to promote the campaign of Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa, the Jatiya Party candidate of the Rangpur City Corporation election,” he added.This article was first published on Bangla Tribune