Salahuddin for global moves to resolve crisis

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Sunday laid stress on stronger international cooperation and more effective diplomacy to secure an early and sustainable political solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis.

He urged the international community, including the United Nations, to keep the Rohingya issue high on the global agenda and ensure that it is not overshadowed by other conflicts and humanitarian crises.

The minister made the call while speaking as the chief guest at a roundtable titled “The Rohingya Crisis: Emerging Challenges and Reframing Responsibilities” at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) auditorium in Dhaka.

The Institute for Global Cooperation Foundation (IGCF) organised the event.

Salahuddin also called for concerted international efforts to ensure the early, safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingya refugees to their homeland in Myanmar.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on the Ministry of Public Administration Md Ismail Zabiullah attended the programme as the guest of honour and stressed the need for stronger administrative coordination in addressing the crisis.

In his speech, Salahuddin said a permanent and sustainable resolution would require direct political engagement and support from major global powers as well as the United Nations.

He urged all relevant stakeholders, including international human rights organisations and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), to play a more proactive role in finding a lasting solution.

“Our primary objective is clear-to ensure the return of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals to their homeland with full dignity, safety and security,” he said.

“For this, continued international support and the political engagement of leading countries are indispensable.”

Bangladesh has been sheltering more than a million Rohingya refugees on humanitarian grounds for nearly nine years, providing them with land, food, healthcare, shelter and basic security, the minister said.