Prime Minister’s International Affairs Adviser Professor Dr Gowher Rizvi on Tuesday called for coordinated actions from Bangladesh and India over the Rohingya issue.
“We need to coordinate our actions together (over Rohingya issue). . . we need to realize that it is a security threat . . . it is the most vulnerable frontier for both Bangladesh and India,” he told the inaugural ceremony of a two-day “Bangladesh-India Security Dialogue” at a Gulshan hotel here.
He said, “Unless we work together and unless we resolve this, it will create a prolonged problem.”
Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) and Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi are jointly organizing the dialogue.
Distinguished Fellow of ORF Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty also spoke on the occasion with BEI President Farooq Sobhan in the chair.
Dr Rizvi Said Bangladesh expects its friends to play an important role in the Rohingya issue.
“India to date has been the largest supplier of relief materials for Rohingya people and Indian plane was first to land in Chittagong to provide relief goods for them” he said adding “we are grateful and we need to acknowledge it and it is very important.”
The prime minister’s adviser said talks were also held on diplomatic channel between Bangladesh and India over the issue and “our foreign minister reiterated unflinching commitment.”
“What is happening to the diplomatic channel, what is happening quite in behind the scene, those are important. . . I really believe the public in Bangladesh needs to see more visible public support from India (in the Rohingya issue),” he observed.
Dr Rizvi said, “In Myanmar, it is pure genocide. . . genocide described by the UN Secretary General, the Pope and numerous heads of the government.”
“We have all but our geopolitical considerations but this needs a very special emphasis and also this has strong ramification for the security of our region Bangladesh, India and Myanmar,” he observed.
He said, “If we do not work jointly or if we do not work strongly on it, I fear, we make undo some of the good works that had happened over the years.”
From Bangladesh’s perspective, he said, “We need to understand that every country whether it is China or India or any other country has multiple interests and multiple concerns and we should not reduce relationship between the two countries on a single line.”
