State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has sought support of the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for creating a conducive situation in Myanmar for safe and dignified repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingya people.
“By opening our borders to the persecuted Rohingyas, Bangladesh has not only saved lives but also stabilised the entire region,” he said while briefing OIC ambassadors and delegates about the evolving situation with the crisis in Geneva on Thursday, according to a message received in Dhaka on Friday.
“The international community has a shared responsibility to help restore the Rohingyas’ fundamental rights and freedoms, including their right to return to Myanmar in safety and dignity,” he added.
The state minister arrived in Geneva on Wednesday to attend the launch of the UN Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis for 2019.
The launch will take place at an event at the UN in the Swiss city of Geneva on Friday.
Alam raised the possibility of creating a civilian “safe zone” for the returnee Rohingyas in Myanmar, to be monitored by the human rights and humanitarian outfits in the concerned regional context.
He also shared information on the government’s plans to relocate a portion of the Rohingya population in Cox’s Bazar to the Bhashan Char island in consultation with all concerned stakeholders.
The OIC ambassadors and delegates from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Libya, State of Palestine and the Maldives reaffirmed their solidarity with the forcibly displaced Rohingyas and commended Bangladesh for its generosity in hosting them.
The OIC member states reiterated their commitment to help find a peaceful and lasting solution to the crisis through sustained engagement in the relevant human rights and humanitarian forum in Geneva.
