Among the numerous issues that Bangladesh has had in recent years, perhaps none have been more frustrating than the Rohingya crisis as unlike many of the other issues, this is one where Bangladesh has and continues to go above and beyond and yet, has received little to no assistance to bring about a long term solution.
To that end, we appreciate the newly appointed High Representative for Rohingya Affairs Dr Khalilur Rahman bringing this issue to attention once again, rightfully criticizing the lack of significant action and pointing out that no major initiative was taken by now to resolve the issue.
While we must acknowledge that there are numerous ongoing cases of human rights violations in the world, perhaps none more pronounced than Israel’s attack on Palestine, the issue with the Rohingya threatens to become an afterthought - and this is something Bangladesh can simply not afford.
For a resource-scarce nation that is now in the midst of a serious rebuild, with growth projections lowered significantly and economic challenges aplenty, that Bangladesh continues to provide for over a million Rohingya refugees, despite international aid, is unquestionably impressive.
However, sheltering the Rohingya was never the long-term strategy, which has and will always be their repatriation. The Rohingya belong to Rakhine State in Myanmar, and have every right to be able to return to their homelands.
We hope the international community does not forget about the Rohingya altogether. It is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that they are able to return.
