“There’s a negative campaign that Bangladesh is forcing the Rohingyas to go back to their homeland. Why should Bangladesh force them to leave the country as it has given them the shelter? Question doesn’t arise to send them back to Myanmar forcibly,” he said.
He came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after briefing diplomats on the ongoing Rohingya repatriation process.
Ali said Japan has proposed to take camp heads (Majhi) to Rakhine state with the help of UNHCR and the UN to assess the situation there and the government is working on this proposal, said the minister.
Replying to a question whether Rohingya repatriation has been ‘postponed’, he said it could not take place as they declined to go back home today.
The minister, however, did not give any specific answer when he was asked when the repatriation will begin again.
The minister said they briefed diplomats about the announcement of the new date of the national election and the Prime Minister’s talks with different political parties and alliances, including the ones with BNP’s alliance Jatiya Oikyafront that happened twice.
He said the foreign envoys seem to be happy over the progress on the election.
Ali said they also talked about the unexpected incident that took place at Nayapaltan and the diplomats are aware of it.
He said they discussed the repatriation of Rohingyas that was scheduled to begin today.
The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh has long been making efforts to have a solution to the Rohingya problem in a peaceful manner through discussions. “We’re still trying to do so.”
He said India has already built 250 houses for the Rohingyas who will be repatriated in Myanmar. “They informed us they’re going to build 500 more houses.”
Besides, Ali said, China is also constructing 1,000 houses in Myanmar for the Rohingyas to be repatriated there.
He said they urged both India and China to build the houses at the places from where the Rohingyas had been evicted.
Replying to a question, the minister said some countries are interested in sending their election observers to monitor the national election here, and they suggested them to approach the Election Commission.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, UN resident coordinator in Dhaka Mia Seppo said the United Nations welcomed Bangladesh’s decision to stick to the principle of Rohingyas’ voluntary return to Myanmar as the country demonstrated it today by not sending Rohingyas to their country against their will.
“It’s Myanmar’s responsibility to make sure Rohingyas have enough trust to return to their homeland, and to have enough trust to believe what have happened to them would not be repeated,” she added.
The UN resident coordinator also said it is not the responsibility of Bangladesh government to create conditions conducive to the safe return of Rohingyas to Myanmar.
Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla said the Foreign Minister briefed them about the recent efforts to develop a political consensus for holding an inclusive election.
He said they were also briefed about the repatriation process of the displaced people from Rakhine state in Myanmar, and obviously this is a highly complicated process.
“As far as we’re concerned, India has called for the safe, speedy and sustainable return of the displaced persons,” Shringla said.
He said their country has also been working with the Bangladesh government in ensuring the repatriation takes place in a manner that is appropriate.
Shringla said their country has built prefabricated houses in the Rakhine State from where Rohingyas have come from in order to facilitate the repatriation.
He said India has already provided relief materials for Rohingyas thrice, and they will also send blankets, sweaters and solar panels to the Rohingya camps during the winter.
“We believe you have to start from somewhere and you have to certainly begin the repatriation process in a voluntary manner. But at the same time, a way must be worked out to facilitate the repartition at the earliest,” the Indian envoy observed.
Sought his comment on the postponement of the repartition process, he said there are some other plans and some other efforts in this regard.