UNB, Manila :
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Saturday came down heavily on Myanmar for pushing a million of Rohingyas into Bangladesh within less than a year putting stress on economy and sought punitive measures against Myanmar.
“This (pushing Rohingyas into Bangladesh) is something unaccountable,” he said urging the international community to help repatriate Rohingyas to their homeland from Bangladesh.
The Finance Minister said Bangladesh maintained above 7 percent growth over the last three years but he does not know what would happen next year as Bangladesh needs to provide a great deal of funds to Rohingyas. “And that is not productive investment at all.”
Minister Muhith was addressing meeting attended by over 40 speakers from various countries.
Minister Muhith said Myanmar did it before and in 1992 they pushed some 400000 into Bangladesh and Bangladesh has maintained these people all these years.
Earlier, on the sidelines, the Finance Minister said Bangladesh will seek
financial support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the form of grants, not as loans, to help address the Rohingya crisis which has huge burden on Bangladesh.
“We’ll certainly seek the support. The World Bank is giving as grants. We’ll tell ADB to do the same,” Minister Muhith told UNB when his attention was drawn.
The Finance Minister will discuss the issue with the ADB President Takehiko Nakao during their meeting, scheduled to be held hereon Sundaymorning.
Minister Muhith said Bangladesh approached every donor during recent conference in Washington including the World Bank.
The World Bank originally offered support both in the form of loans and grants but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was not happy about loans.
“So, World Bank will give in the form of grants and we will also seek support from the ADB in same form – grants,” said the Finance Minister.
Terming global refugee crisis as a “very serious” one, Muhith said the international development bank should come forward to play some roles in this regard.
Bangladesh currently has a Rohingya population, which is far more than Bhutan’s entire population.
Bhutan has around 800,000 people whereas Bangladesh had to give shelter to some 1.2 million Rohingyas.
Bangladesh and Myanmar signed the repatriation agreement on November 23, 2017. OnJanuary 16, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a document on ‘Physical Arrangement’ which will facilitate the return of Rohingyas to their homeland from Bangladesh.
The ‘Physical Arrangement’ stipulates that the repatriation will be completed preferablywithin two yearsfrom the start of repatriation.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Saturday came down heavily on Myanmar for pushing a million of Rohingyas into Bangladesh within less than a year putting stress on economy and sought punitive measures against Myanmar.
“This (pushing Rohingyas into Bangladesh) is something unaccountable,” he said urging the international community to help repatriate Rohingyas to their homeland from Bangladesh.
The Finance Minister said Bangladesh maintained above 7 percent growth over the last three years but he does not know what would happen next year as Bangladesh needs to provide a great deal of funds to Rohingyas. “And that is not productive investment at all.”
Minister Muhith was addressing meeting attended by over 40 speakers from various countries.
Minister Muhith said Myanmar did it before and in 1992 they pushed some 400000 into Bangladesh and Bangladesh has maintained these people all these years.
Earlier, on the sidelines, the Finance Minister said Bangladesh will seek
financial support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the form of grants, not as loans, to help address the Rohingya crisis which has huge burden on Bangladesh.
“We’ll certainly seek the support. The World Bank is giving as grants. We’ll tell ADB to do the same,” Minister Muhith told UNB when his attention was drawn.
The Finance Minister will discuss the issue with the ADB President Takehiko Nakao during their meeting, scheduled to be held hereon Sundaymorning.
Minister Muhith said Bangladesh approached every donor during recent conference in Washington including the World Bank.
The World Bank originally offered support both in the form of loans and grants but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was not happy about loans.
“So, World Bank will give in the form of grants and we will also seek support from the ADB in same form – grants,” said the Finance Minister.
Terming global refugee crisis as a “very serious” one, Muhith said the international development bank should come forward to play some roles in this regard.
Bangladesh currently has a Rohingya population, which is far more than Bhutan’s entire population.
Bhutan has around 800,000 people whereas Bangladesh had to give shelter to some 1.2 million Rohingyas.
Bangladesh and Myanmar signed the repatriation agreement on November 23, 2017. OnJanuary 16, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a document on ‘Physical Arrangement’ which will facilitate the return of Rohingyas to their homeland from Bangladesh.
The ‘Physical Arrangement’ stipulates that the repatriation will be completed preferablywithin two yearsfrom the start of repatriation.
