Dhaka to vigorously raise Rohingya issue at UN

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Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
Published : 02:00, Sep 18, 2019 | Updated : 10:08, Sep 18, 2019

FILE PHOTO: Rohingya refugees, who crossed the border from Myanmar two days before, walk after they received permission from the Bangladeshi army to continue on to the refugee camps, in Palang Khali, near Cox`s Bazar, Bangladesh Oct 19, 2017. REUTERSBangladesh will raise the Rohingya issue at the upcoming UN general assembly with added importance and there will be meetings with like-minded nations to find out a solution to the crisis. At all bi-lateral meetings of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, the issue will be raised. In addition, there will be tripartite meetings involving Bangladesh, Myanmar and China, sources have confirmed.
The PM will also take part in three other issue based programmes: SDG summit, action summit and universal health coverage.
At the main speech on Sept 27, the PM will raise the Rohingya crisis, covering their repatriation, assurance of safety in Rakhine and so on.
Five programmes are supposed to be held in New York on the Rohingya issue and Bangladesh is being directly and indirectly helped by Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Saudi Arabia and European Union.
A foreign office mandarin has said that OIC will organise 3 programmes and the biggest one will be with Bangladesh.
The OIC has a contact group about Rohingya issues with 14 countries as members and they will have sideline meetings, said the official.
There will also be an OIC ad hoc meeting led by Gambia to ensure accountability for persecution against the Rohingyas; in addition, the possibility of a case at the international court of justice will be discussed.
FILE PHOTO: Rohingya refugees continue their way after crossing from Myanmar into Palang Khali, near Cox`s Bazar, Bangladesh Nov 2, 2017. REUTERSSaudi Arabia will organise a pledge conference where funds will be collected for the RohIngyas, said another official.
The office of Bangladesh’s permanent representative at the UN will arrange a programme on the Rohingya issue.
The SDG summit at the UN will discuss the progress in attaining the targets set in 2015.
“We want to implement SDGs in accordance to the realities of Bangladesh,” said a foreign office person.
At the Paris Climate Summit in 2016, Bangladesh pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 5 percent, using own funds and 15 percent with support from others, and the same promise will be upheld this year, said the official.
“Bangladesh is not responsible for climate pollution; the Paris accord does not mention any method to assess what the developed nations have done to keep their pledges of reducing carbon emissions.”
Another official added: “We will uphold the success of the community health clinic when the universal health coverage is discussed and specialists from Bangladesh will discuss Autism and health related issues.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Spanish president will jointly preside over a discussion on health issues, he added.

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