Law Minister
Bangladesh does not want to interfere in Myanmar’s internal affairs
File Photo
Law Minister Md. Asaduzzaman has said that Bangladesh does not want to interfere in Myanmar’s internal affairs. Bangladesh only wants to say that the Rohingyas are not citizens of Bangladesh and are not a population originating from Bangladeshi territory. However, they are human beings and have human rights.
The minister made the remarks as the chief guest at a seminar titled “The Rohingya Crisis: Current Reality and Future Course of Action” at the National Press Club in the capital on Sunday morning. The Policy Research Centre organized the event.
Referring to the Rohingyas as inhabitants of Myanmar’s Rakhine region from cultural and anthropological perspectives, the law minister said they have the right to receive necessary protection under international law. Bangladesh’s position on addressing the Rohingya crisis should be determined from that perspective, he said.
“Ensuring the human rights of the Rohingyas and their safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation to their homeland is Bangladesh’s expectation,” the minister added.
The law minister also said that after taking office, the prime minister formed a national committee to address the Rohingya crisis. He said researchers, civil society, the media and various social organizations need to provide recommendations from their respective positions to make the committee’s work effective.
Asaduzzaman also said that support from the people of Bangladesh is essential for the government’s efforts to move toward a permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis. To this end, policy research institutions, experts and civil society need to play a role in shaping public opinion, he said.
The discussion was chaired by Dr. SK Tawfique M Hossain, a member of the organization’s Board of Trustees. Former Bangladesh ambassador to Myanmar Mohammad Sufiur Rahman was the keynote discussant.
Associate Professor Ishrat Zakia Sultana of the Department of Political Science and Sociology at North South University, The Daily Star journalist and diplomatic correspondent Parimal Palma, Rohingya women’s rights activist Razia Sultana and Mujibullah, a representative of Rohingya youth, also participated in the discussion.
