Rohingyas must be repatriated to their original place in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, said Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen

DHAKA — Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen has reiterated that Rohingyas must be repatriated to their original place in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, stating his country cannot bear the immense socio-economic and environmental costs by hosting millions of refugees for an indefinite period.

He said this while delivering a speech on the open-ended meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee on the Accountability for Human Rights Violations against the Rohingyas, held in Islamabad, on the margins of the 48th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held from March 22-23.

The 10-member ad hoc committee was formed in line with the decision of 45th CFM held in Dhaka in 2018 to ensure justice to the Rohingyas.

The meeting discussed the updated status especially of the recent hearing in February 2022, on the case filed by Gambia, as the chair of the Ad hoc committee, at the International Court of Justice to hold Myanmar accountable for the Human Rights violation against the Rohingyas.

The current status on the voluntary contribution by the member states and the summary of the fund requirements to manoeuver the case were presented by the Gambia.

Momen in his statement reiterated the importance of repatriation of the Rohingyas to avoid trans-national socio-economic catastrophe due to millions of Rohingyas, especially thousands of juveniles and youths apprehensive of no hope about their future.

While thanking Gambia and the OIC for the support for the legal action, he called for keeping the momentum going to provide justice to Rohingyas.

He also called for strong solidarity from the member states by contributing voluntarily to meet the legal expenses of the case. Turkey committed to contribute $2,00,000 to the fund.

The members of the ad-hoc committee praised Bangladesh for hosting this large number of refugees over the years and even bringing them within the Covid vaccine programme.

The Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh led a five-member delegation to the 48th Council of Foreign Ministers comprising Bangladeshi envoys to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and the senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.