Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud has urged United Nations-affiliated organizations and other stakeholders to make coordinated efforts to ensure Rohingya repatriation, their development, and to solve the crisis in Myanmar.
Hasan Mahmud made this appeal during his meeting with Dennis Francis, President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi; Julie Bishop, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Myanmar; and six other chiefs of UN organizations on Friday at UN headquarters, reads a press release.
The Foreign Minister informed Dennis Francis that in 2017, when around one million Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh to escape the violence in Myanmar, the people of Cox's Bazar and Chattogram received them with compassion. However, he noted that many Rohingyas are now leaving the camps to join local workplaces, and the camps have become havens for various crimes, including human trafficking, drug smuggling, and terrorism, making life difficult for the local population.
In his meeting with Julie Bishop, Hasan Mahmud emphasized that the ongoing crisis in Myanmar is not a new phenomenon and should not be used as an excuse to delay Rohingya repatriation.
The Foreign Minister highlighted the benefits of coordinated initiatives by UN agencies, particularly in conflict-affected regions. He discussed the situation in Rakhine and Cox's Bazar, calling on all UN agencies, funds, and programs to work together to resolve the refugee crisis and improve conditions for the Rohingyas.
