Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said the government remains firmly committed to securing a peaceful, swift and sustainable resolution to the Rohingya crisis through intensified diplomatic efforts at the bilateral, regional and international levels.
Responding to a starred question from Sirajganj-1 lawmaker Md Abul Selim Reza during the Prime Minister's Question Time in Parliament, with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad in the chair, he said the government is following the diplomatic approach adopted during previous BNP administrations to facilitate the safe return of forcibly displaced Rohingyas to Myanmar.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh had successfully resolved earlier Rohingya crises through diplomatic initiatives under the leadership of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman in 1978 and Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in 1992. He said the Rohingyas who had taken shelter in Bangladesh at those times were able to return to their homeland within a short period.
“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,” he said.
Tarique Rahman said the government is working to keep the Rohingya crisis high on the global humanitarian agenda. As part of that effort, Bangladesh has maintained regular communication with senior representatives of the UNHCR, UN Women and the World Food Programme (WFP). He said high-level delegations from those organisations visited the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar soon after the current government took office and held detailed discussions on expanding humanitarian assistance.
He also noted that Turkiye's foreign minister visited Bangladesh earlier this month and toured the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar. “We hope this visit will lead to increased humanitarian assistance from Turkiye for the Rohingyas,” he said.
The Prime Minister said a high-level conference was held at the United Nations last September to promote the safe and early 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 added.
He stressed that ensuring justice and accountability by addressing the root causes of the crisis remains a priority. “To this end, Bangladesh continues to extend its moral support to The Gambia's case before the International Court of Justice,” he said.
Tarique Rahman said a lasting solution depends on creating conditions in Myanmar's Rakhine State that allow the safe, voluntary and sustainable return of Rohingyas. He said Bangladesh has stepped up diplomatic efforts to encourage the international community to increase pressure on Myanmar while maintaining dialogue with Myanmar authorities and other relevant stakeholders. Confidence-building measures are also under consideration, while verification of Rohingya identities and third-country resettlement initiatives are continuing.
Describing the crisis as highly complex and multidimensional, he said, “The pace of its resolution depends largely on the security situation in Rakhine State, international pressure, and, above all, the position of the Myanmar authorities.”
He added that establishing stability in Rakhine requires effective dialogue between the Myanmar government and the Arakan Army, and Bangladesh has strengthened engagement with relevant countries to support that process. “The current government’s goal is to initiate the permanent, safe, and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas,” he said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted measures to maintain security and manage the humanitarian situation in the camps. He said the National Committee on the Coordination, Management and Law and Order of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals, led by the home minister, is working to maintain law and order, preserve harmony between refugees and host communities, and ensure the implementation of government decisions.
He said the National Taskforce, comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the United Nations and other stakeholders, is overseeing field-level activities to strengthen coordination, deliver humanitarian assistance and accelerate the repatriation process.
Concluding his remarks, Tarique Rahman said the government is pursuing a realistic and durable solution to enable the large number of forcibly displaced Rohingyas to return to their homeland safely and with dignity.
