Coast Foundation and Cox's Bazar CSO-NGO Forum (CCNF) organised an online international seminar on Thursday (20 June) to observe World Refugee Day.
Speakers at the seminar emphasised that formal recognition of the Rohingya as refugees would resolve many existing issues. Bangladesh has demonstrated great generosity by sheltering a million Rohingya refugees, and formal recognition is now necessary, according to a press release.
National and international refugee experts participated in the seminar, which was chaired by Shireen Haque of Naripokkho and moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of Coast Foundation.
Among the speakers were Klaus Dick Nielsen and Hafsar Tamizuddin of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), Gopal Siwakoti of InHUREED International, John Quinley of Fortify Rights, Gawhar Naeem Wahra of Disaster Forum, refugee and migration expert Asif Munir, Arifur Rahman of YPSA, Fazlul Qader Chowdhury of Cox’s Bazar Zilla Press Club, and Jahangir Alam and Muhammad Bin Abdullah of CCNF.
Barkat Ullah Maruf of COAST Foundation presented the keynote address. Approximately five hundred workers involved in humanitarian efforts in Cox's Bazar attended the online seminar.
Barkat Ullah Maruf noted that Rohingya children are currently provided with education, but they show little interest due to the lack of internationally recognised certificates. He emphasised that if the Rohingya had travel documents, they would not risk their lives crossing the Andaman Sea illegally. Instead, they would pursue legal avenues for foreign employment and could take their families with them.
Klaus Dick Nielsen from APRRN stressed the importance of international agencies funding local NGOs in Cox's Bazar for the Rohingya response.
Hafsar Tamizuddin, Secretary General of APRRN, who was born as a Rohingya and now resides in New Zealand, highlighted the ongoing torture of the Rohingya community in Maungdaw and Buthidaung in Myanmar. She called for greater transparency in international discussions regarding the Rohingyas.
John Quinley of Fortify Rights emphasized the importance of the rights of assembly and freedom of expression for refugees, which are often undermined. He asserted that if a family wishes to move to avoid security risks in the camps, it is their right.
Gawhar Naeem Wahra of Disaster Forum drew parallels with 1971 when India recognised ten million Bangladeshi refugees despite not having ratified the Geneva Convention. He argued that recognising the Rohingya as refugees would allow expatriate refugees to send money legally through banks, boosting Bangladesh's foreign reserves.
Refugee and immigration expert Asif Munir pointed out the negative mindset among law enforcement agencies towards Rohingyas, treating them as criminals. He suggested that the conflict in the camps cannot be handled by the APBN alone and called for a disarmament process involving the Ministry of Defence.
Gopal Siwakoti of InHUREED International acknowledged Bangladesh's challenges as an LDC and praised its generosity in sheltering such a large population.
Shireen Haque of Naripokkho shared her observations from a visit to the camps in 2017, noting that while initially the Rohingya spoke about their suffering in Myanmar, now they only talk about the hardships in the camps, indicating worsening conditions.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of COAST Foundation insisted that repatriation is the only solution to the Rohingya crisis and urged international agencies to take meaningful initiatives for repatriation. He highlighted the potential role of the Rohingya diaspora community in this process.
Fazlul Qader Chowdhury of Cox’s Bazar Zilla Press Club demanded transparency in the management of the BRAC-managed pool fund and the 25% allocation for the host community.
