Hasina urges int’l bodies to actively aid Rohingya repatriation

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Bangla Tribune Desk
Published : 22:22, Jun 20, 2019 | Updated : 22:49, Jun 20, 2019

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with Head of Delegation of ICRC in Bangladesh Ikhtiyar Aslanov on Thursday (Jun 20) her Jatiya Sangsad Office. PHOTO: PIDPrime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called international organisations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRS) to actively aid the rehabilitation and repatriation of the Rohingyas who have been driven out of Myanmar.
“We want the international organisations to be active for repatriation and rehabilitation of the Rohingya nationals so that they can go back to their homeland,” she told the Head of Delegation of ICRC in Bangladesh Ikhtiyar Aslanov on Thursday (Jun 20) when paid a farewell call on her at her Jatiya Sangsad Office on Thursday (Jun 20), reports BSS.
After the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.
Hasina said that it was the people of Cox’s Bazar who were suffering most due to the over 1 million Rohingyas who have been forced into Bangladesh after being persecuted out of their homeland.
“How how long Bangladesh will bear their burden?” she questioned while emphasising on their repatriation.
The ICRC head of delegation, meanwhile, assured that his organisation will continue to support Bangladesh on this issue.
He highly appreciated PM Hasina’s humanitarian gesture of giving shelter to the displaced Rohingyas.
“Bangladeshi people are resilient,” he said, adding both the government and people came forward to help.
“Your approach was very wise and good for solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis by engaging Myanmar.” Ikhtiyar Aslanov told her.
The premier said that Bangladesh has signed agreements with Myanmar for repatriation of the Rohingyas. “But the Myanmar authorities are yet to act in this regard,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said all international organisations including ICRC have come forward to the help of the Rohingyas while Aslanov higly appreciated Bangladesh’s success in disaster management.
Hasina said it was Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who first started construction of cyclone shelters in coastal areas of the country after independence.
“The Father of the Nation initiated for creating volunteers and building cyclone shelters named ‘Mujib Kella’ to combat natural disasters,” she said.

Mentioning the 1991 severe cyclone, Sheikh Hasina said before the then government acted, “My party men first reached to the distressed people and started relief operations.”
The ICRC head of delegation expressed gratitude to the government and the prime minister for extending support to him during his tenure in Bangladesh.

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