Govt pursuing swift solution to Rohingya crisis: PM

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said the government is firmly committed to achieving a peaceful, sustainable and swift resolution to the Rohingya crisis through intensified diplomatic efforts at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.

He made the remarks while replying to a starred question from Treasury Bench MP Md Selim Reza of Sirajganj-1 during the Prime Minister's Question Time in Parliament, with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad in the chair.

Tarique said Bangladesh had successfully resolved previous Rohingya crises under the leadership of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman in 1978 and Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in 1992 through effective diplomatic initiatives.

"Under their capable leadership, the forcibly displaced Rohingyas who had taken shelter in Bangladesh were able to return to their homeland within a short period," he said.

"Today, we are pursuing a sustainable, peaceful and rapid solution guided by the same policy. The BNP government is conducting vigorous diplomatic efforts on bilateral, regional and multilateral fronts to achieve an early resolution of the Rohingya crisis."

The Prime Minister said the government is working to keep the Rohingya crisis at the forefront of the global humanitarian agenda.

As part of these efforts, Bangladesh has maintained regular communication with senior representatives of the UNHCR, UN Women and the World Food Programme (WFP). Soon after the current government assumed office, high-level delegations from these organisations visited the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar and held detailed discussions on expanding humanitarian assistance, he said.

He also noted that Türkiye's Foreign Minister visited Bangladesh earlier this month and toured the Rohingya camps.
"We hope this visit will lead to increased humanitarian assistance from Türkiye for the Rohingyas," he said.

The Prime Minister said a high-level conference was held at the United Nations last September to support the rapid and safe repatriation of displaced Rohingyas.

"We will continue organising similar high-level initiatives through the UN and other global platforms to mobilise international public opinion more effectively," he said.

Tarique said Bangladesh is placing special importance on ensuring justice and accountability by addressing the root causes of the crisis.

"To this end, Bangladesh continues to extend its moral support to The Gambia's case before the International Court of Justice," he said.

He reiterated that a sustainable solution to the crisis lies in Myanmar's Rakhine State and said Bangladesh had intensified diplomatic efforts to encourage the international community to increase pressure on Myanmar to create conditions conducive to the safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas.

Bangladesh also remains engaged in dialogue not only with the Myanmar authorities but with all relevant stakeholders, he said, adding that confidence-building measures are under consideration.