Staff Reporter :
The United States has assured Bangladesh of all-out support for the safe, sustainable and dignified repatriation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals.
Lisa Curtis, Deputy Assistant to US President Donald Trump, made the assurance after visiting the Rohingya refugee camp at Kutupalong in Ukhia upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Saturday.
“To solve this growing crisis, the US will always stand beside Bangladesh. All cooperation will be given to Bangladesh on the Rohingya repatriation issue. To this end, I came to see the Rohingya situation in Bangladesh on behalf of the US government,” said Lisa Curtis while talking to reporters.
She said Myanmar must take back the Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh after ensuring their security and dignity. “The US government continues the pressure on the Myanmar government in this regard. It will continue its persuasion of Myanmar until the Rohingyas return to their homeland safely, with security and dignity.”
Trump’s aide Lisa Curtis also said the US would keep continued insistence on Myanmar to create right conditions in Rakhine state for safe return of the Rohingyas with all facilities.
She also stressed the need for a sustainable solution of the problem in light of the recommendations of the Kofi Annan Commission.
Lisa Curtis, who arrived in Dhaka yesterday on a three-day official visit, deeply appreciated Bangladesh’s decision to temporarily shelter more than 600,000 forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals and stated that Bangladesh “responded extremely well” to this unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
“The Bangladesh government definitely deserves praise for sheltering this huge Rohingya population,” she said, adding, “This will remain as a rare instance in history.”
She also mentioned that the presence of this huge number of Rohingyas created massive socio-economic and environmental challenges for Bangladesh.
Curtis reached the refugee camps with US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat around 10:00am and talked with the Rohingya refugees waiting at transit point of the Kutupalong refugee camp.
She left the camp for Dhaka around 2:00pm.
Replying to a question, Curtis said the United State was closely observing the situation arisen on Bangladesh-Myanmar border after Burma’s deployment of additional troops along the borders of both countries.
“We understand the concern of the government of Bangladesh. So that we are watching it carefully and closely.”
