Obaidul Quader General Secretary of the ruling Awami League and Secretary General of BNP Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, seem to have indulged in a political battle over the Rohingya crisis. It appears, as if, both the parties are now taking the crisis more politically than ever before.
Ruling AL, BNP, Jatiya Party, and different Islamic parties visited Cox's bazar to distribute relief materials among the Rohingyas.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina among dozen leaders of ruling AL including minister visited Rohingya camp at Cox's Bazaar. Prime Minister said her government should treat the inflow of men, women and children purely from a humanitarian perspective. Rohingya Muslims who fled recent violence in the Buddhist-majority nation - a crisis the Prime Minister said left her speechless.
Obaidul Quader, General Secretary of ruling Awami League, visited Cox's bazaar three times since 25th August. Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Minister of Local Government Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives Engr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, relief and disaster management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and several high-ups of the ruling party visited and distributed aid among the refugees.
According to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a high-level BNP team led by Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas visited Cox's Bazar Friday to distribute relief among the Rohingyas, other members of the team were BNP Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu , Standing Committee members Dr Abdul Moin Khan and Nazrul Islam Khan, and senior leaders Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Abdullah Al Noman, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain.
The BNP leader said though the government claims to have strong diplomatic ties with both India and China, the two countries are now supporting Myanmar instead of standing beside Bangladesh to face the huge challenge of Rohingya refugees.
Mentioning that Rohingya refugees are a serious problem for the nation, the BNP leader said the people of Bangladesh want the government to force Myanmar to take back its citizens through its strong diplomatic efforts. "We're seriously worried as the government is failing to do so."
Cox's Bazar's local politics also turned active and vibrant in the wake of several ruling AL and BNP leaders' visits.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the ruling Awami League has been doing politics with relief supplies meant for the Refugees.
"The government is only putting up a front of handing out relief materials sent by individuals, different local and foreign organisations and international agencies," he said.
On the other hand, the AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader has stated the mass inflow of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh from Myanmar was part of an international and local (Bangladesh) conspiracy in which he hinted the BNP may have played a dirty hand.
