Cox’s Bazar Correspondent :
Diplomats stationed in Dhaka flew to Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday to see plights of Rohingya refugees who have taken shelter in this southeastern district amid persecution by the Myanmar authorities.
Lauding Bangladesh’s efforts in helping the refugees and providing them with necessary aids, the envoys urged Myanmar to stop the persecution and bring back peace in the Muslim dominated Rakhine state.
A delegation of 67 foreign diplomats, including ambassadors, high commissioners, charge d’ affaires and head of missions of 40 Dhaka-based embassies, high commissions and agencies, paid a visit to Kutupalong Registered Camp at Ukhiya upazila at about 12:30pm.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam, Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque, representatives of different local and international humanitarian organisations and senior foreign ministry officials were also there. The diplomats also talked to the refugees to know the exact scenario of the Myanmar’s Rakhine state. They visited different blocks of the Kutupalong refugee camp. The refugees informed the diplomats about their ordeal and the torture on them by the Myanmar army.
More than 370,000 Rohingyas, mostly women, children and elderly people, fled violence to seek safety in Bangladesh since August 25 when Myanmar security forces launched attacks on Rohingya Muslims in the Rakhine state.
The government arranged this high-profile visit during which they were scheduled to go to different temporary and permanent shelters of the Rohingyas.
They also expressed concern over the refugees’ condition and said they would urge the Myanmar government to stop the persecution of the Rohingya and bring back peace.
The diplomats had arrived in Cox’s Bazar Airport by a plane at around 11:00am. Then they took the road to go to Kutupalong camp boarding a special bus.
Earlier on Monday, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali had said that the visit aimed to helping the diplomats see for themselves the challenges and humanitarian crisis Bangladesh is facing due to the fresh Rohingya influx.
