Hectic diplomatic efforts by Dhaka, at the behest of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has yielded an initial success through a deal signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar for repatriation of Rohingya refugees driven out by the Myanmar army since they started an anti-Muslim crackdown in August. The Myanmar army operation has been dubbed by the UN and Amnesty International as 'ethnic cleansing'. Official estimates put the number of Rohingya refugees who arrived in last three months in Bangladesh at more than 620,000 but unofficial figures suggest the number would be around 50 percent more. The Rohingyas persecuted, raped and rendered homeless in Buddhist-majority Myanmar's western Rakhine state, bordering Bangladesh, are still leaving in the dark of night and crossing into Bangladesh escaping eyes of the army and border guards of both countries.Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina swayed the hearts of the world by opening her country's borders to the fleeing Rohingyas settingthe example of history's biggest humanitarian gesture and vowing to shelter the Rohingyas in her densely populated country until they are all safely returned to their homeland Myanmar. She has shown extreme empathy by approving Tk 2312 crore at the ECNEC meeting yesterday for the safe shelter of Rohingyas till their repatriation to Myanmar.
However, Myanmar government, led by State Counsellor Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and backed by the army generals, denied the Rohingyas their citizenship and insist they are illegal migrants from Bangladesh - who, they say, must be settled in Bangladesh with their Muslim brethren. Bangladesh refuses the Myanmar claim and asked the world including the United Nations, all regional groupings and powerful nations to stand by the Rohingyas and support Bangladesh's efforts to send them safely back to their own country -- and to protect them from future torture and persecution by the military and orthodox Buddhist groups.
Initially no one paid heed to Sheikh Hasina's plea. Suu Kyi even did not attend the UN General Assembly meeting in September nor sent her deputy while most world nations did join the session mainly focusing on the Rohingya crisis. But the effort didn't end there. Instead it was strengthened as Sheikh Hasina demonstrated her bold stand to give shelter to millions of Rohingya on human consideration and displayed her firm resolve to bring a respectable and peaceful solution to the world's biggest humanitarian crisis.
Dhaka dispatched diplomats and ministers including Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Home Minister Asaduzaman Khan Kamal to discuss the issue with Suu Kyi and other Myanmar leaders and try to arrive at a consensus as to how the Rohingyas can be rebased in Rakhine or any other part of Myanmar.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh set up hundreds of shelters for the Rohingyas along its south-eastern borders and also planned to settle thousands of others in desolate river islands. The plan is still on as more refugees arrive everyday - despite Myanmar's fragile assurance that the brutal persecution has been stopped.
The deal signed between Dhaka and Naypyidaw following the verbal assurances has, however, been open ended with no definite timeline for ending the repatriation process.
The details of the agreement are contained in documents exchanged by the two governments. Speculations are already rife - but with no official confirmation in Dhaka - that the deal was inked keeping Myanmar's interests intact and leaving the Rohingyas in further uncertainties as the repatriation will be done on the basis of identification and selection of the Rohingyas by the Myanmar authorities. As there is no third party involvement is guaranteed, it is likely, experts say, Myanmar would not accept most of the Rohngyas as people of their soil.
Then what fate awaits the refugees? Sources close to Myanmar authorities and international media journalists tracking the developments there say Suu Kyi's government is building several camps to dump Rohngyas back from Bangladesh (for verification) for uncertain period of time and then, if international pressure builds further, would give go ahead to some and confine the rest in the camps (awaiting for them to go back or flee again to Bangladesh).
This scenario becomes stronger as Myanmar refused to allow UNHCR or any other international representative to oversee or have a say in the verification. Myanmar wants to do this as per an earlier similar agreement done with Bangladesh following a massive influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh. That agreement reached in 1992 during the BNP-Jamaat regime eventually failed after a few thousands of Rohingyas were repatriated but many of them have returned over the following years to escape continued military persecution.
However, we believe this time it will be different because of Sheikh Hasina's tough stance on the issue, her motivation of the the world leaders and strong resolve to settle the Rohingya issue once for all. She has pulled neighbours common to Bangladesh and Myanmar, UN members, governments around the world to stand by Bangladesh for ending the crisis and to find for the Rohingyas a permanent statehood and ensure safety of their lives.
So far Sheikh Hasina's call has been well received throughout the world, otherwise the Myanmar military generals would not allow Suu Kyi to enter an initial deal with Bangladesh. They faced, among others, threats of economic and other sanctions by the powerful countries including the US, the UK, EU.
Sheikh Hasina's extreme humanitarian offer to the Rohingyas have earned her the fame as "Mother of Humanity," and also she has been recognized as one of top world leaders. We wish Sheikh Hasina's mission to put a permanent seal on the Rohingya crisis would succeed and bring her even more accolade - and set her as an example of real harbinger of peace and harmony between neighbours, communities and religions.
Removing any doubt and misgiving about Sheikh Hasina's Myanmar policy, the Prime Minister on Sunday firmly said that her government wants to solve the Rohingya crisis keeping 'good relations' with neighbouring Myanmar unharmed.
"We want to resolve the crisis by keeping good relations with the neighbouring country," she said."We are emphasising to find a solution through bilateral talks with neighbouring countries in resolving any type of crisis," she told the first conference of the country's envoys abroad.
Stressing the success of her country's ongoing diplomacy regarding the Rohingya issue, Sheikh Hasina said, "In the past Bangladesh never got such overwhelming support from the international community on any issue which is the biggest diplomatic success of the country."
Referring to the agreement signed with Myanmar for repatriation of Rohingyas, PM Hasina said the consensus is at least a start of a bilateral negotiation.
"There has been an international pressure on Myanmar, which undoubtedly is essential. We have reached a bilateral agreement with the neighbouring country which would help send back the Myanmar nationals to their country," she hoped.
The inking of the agreement for repatriation of the Rohingyas is the manifestation of the 'pro-active and timely' diplomatic manoeuvres of the present government. For this Foreign Minister A. H. Mahmood Ali, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, Foreign Ministry officials deserve appreciation for successfully carrying forward the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Now a deal has been made but to implement it the Foreign Ministry has to act more intensely and cautiously. One positive sign is there that the world, particularly the UN, is still active and concerned to resolve the Rohingya crisis.
