Staff Reporter :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday termed the Myanmar’s Rohingya issue as a “political problem”, saying it cannot be resolved through military action.
“Rohingya issue is a political problem and it cannot be resolved through military action,” she made this remark during a meeting with newly appointed Danish Ambassador Mikael Hemnid Winther who paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at her office yesterday.
The Prime Minister urged the Myanmar government to resolve the issue of their minority Rohingya community using political means, quoting the PM, her Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told journalists after the meeting in the afternoon.
Sheikh Hasina told the envoy that she understands the problems of refugees very well as she herself was in exile for long six years after the brutal killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
In this context, she referred to the example of settling the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) problems in Bangladesh in 1997 through peaceful internal negotiations. She laid importance on resolving the Rohingya problem in neighbouring Myanmar domestically. “CHT agreement led to surrender of arms by the insurgents,” she said.
Karim said the premier’s comments came as they discussed various matters relating to mutual interests as well many global issues, including the Rohingya problems in Myanmar.
The Danish ambassador highly appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the way she is handing the Rohingya issue, added the press secretary.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister told Parliament that her government was very much sympathetic toward the Rohingyas, but hard against the culprits, who want to use Bangladesh’s land against neighbours.
Meanwhile, members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Thursday sent back nine boats fully packed with Rohingyas to Myanmar following their attempt to intrude into the Bangladesh territory through the Naf river of Cox’s Bazar.
Lt Col Abu Jar Ali Jahid, Commanding Officer of BGB-2 Battalion, said the BGB team pushed the 135 Rohingya nationals boarded in nine boats back while they were crossing the river.
“Each boat carrying 15-20 people tried to trespass into Bangladesh territory,” he said.
Jahid said the BGB team sent a total of 240 boats with 2350 Rohingyas back to their country while they were trying to enter Bangladesh through 15 border points since November 1.
Amid BGB’s strict vigilance to prevent the influx, thousands of distressed Rohingya refuges, including children and women, continue to cross border into Bangladesh. Thousands more have been reported to be gathering at the border crossing.
Those Rohingyas who managed to enter Bangladesh have sought shelter in refugee camps or people’s homes. Many of them have been reported missing since Tuesday.
Rohingya residents and human rights groups accuse the Myanmar military and border guard forces of raping Rohingya women, torching houses and killing civilians during operations there. However, the Myanmar government and military deny the accusations.
Bangladesh earlier summoned Myanmar’s ambassador in Dhaka to express concern at the situation.
