Bangladesh has, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, gone above and beyond in sheltering, feeding, and giving aid to the over one million refugees who have made their way into our nation, but the magnitude of the problem continues to pose serious challenges for us in the foreseeable future.
That is why we need to look to the root of the refugee crisis for a lasting solution, and not merely focus on immediate responses.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has done just that at the conference “Global Compact on Refugees: A Model for Greater Solidarity and Cooperation” held at the United Nations headquarters, and gave clear recommendations to tackle the problem.
First, Myanmar must abolish its discriminatory laws, policies, and practices held against the Rohingyas. Second, a favourable environment must be created by building trust and guaranteeing protection, and ensuring citizenship for all Rohingyas. Finally, future crimes against Rohingya in Myanmar must be prevented by bringing accountability and justice.
All of these recommendations involve holding Myanmar answerable for their actions, and they require the cooperation of the world community.
The UN has already acknowledged the scale of the crimes being committed in the Rakhine state, and Secretary General Guterres himself has visited the refugee camps and observed the horrific scale of the Rohingya crisis.
So what is the global community waiting for? The time for action is now.
Our own resources have been stretched to breaking point, and the crisis has taken a toll on the environment, economy, and society -- we sincerely hope that the rest of the world will now rise to the occasion and do their bit.
