UNB, Dhaka :
Speakers here on Thursday drew parallels between the Bangladeshis who took refuge in India during 1971 and the current Rohingyas sheltered in Cox’s Bazar.
In a panel discussion titled “1971 Refugee Experience: Reflection of Past and Present” organised by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and Liberation War Museum, they organised the event to mark the occasion of World Refugee Day, which was June 20. During his opening speech, UNHCR Deputy Country Representative Papa Kysma Sylla commended the government and the people of Bangladesh for allowing a sizeable Rohingya community to take shelter and provide necessary amenities. He expected top UN officials, including Secretary General Antonio Guterres, to pay a visit to Bangladesh, as they were invited previously by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in an attempt to witness the condition of the Rohingyas. The seminar was moderated by Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University’s International Relations department, and consisted of speakers Julian Francis and Meghna Guhathakurta. Julian Francis, a foreign friend of Bangladesh during the Liberation War, recollected his memories as a coordinator of Oxfam in Kolkata and spoke about the issue of humanitarian response in a refugee situation. He recalled how he had witnessed thousands of Bangladeshis entering India through the borders in West Bengal. When he had sent telegrams to
Oxfam’s Head Office in London, they thought the numbers were mistaken inflated. One interesting anecdote he shared was the convincing of then-Calcutta University medical college students, to provide medical treatment to the refugees, which he said would be integrated into their academic syllabus. This had inspired medical students from other states to follow suit and lend their support to most of the refugee camps. Regarding the current Rohingya refugees, he added that it is not just about providing them with relief materials, but more importantly how to keep them happy, which would help them to help forget about the ordeals. Executive Director at Research Initiatives, Bangladesh (RIB) Meghna Guhathakurta revealed that although she was not a refugee in 1971, but her experiences as a displaced individual shed light on her topic of challenges faced by women and children in displacement. After her father, educationist and Professor of English at Dhaka University Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta was killed during Operation Searchlight, they had to flee and seek shelter in multiple houses, finally ending up in a Christian orphanage, feigning as an orphan to hide her actual identity.
Although she opined that the current Rohingya exodus cannot be compared with that of 1971, she said that now with more facilities and awareness, there are scores of Rohingya women who can fend for themselves.
In several Rohingya camps, she found that educated Rohingya women are assigned as teachers in schools. It would benefit their community in the long run. A presentation by the Center for the Study of Genocide and Justice under LWM was given where a group of researchers had visited the Rohingya camps to extract testimonies from those who had experienced sexual violence at the hands of their oppressors in Myanmar.
Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed said that both the issues of 1971 and the current Rohingya crisis are from different time zones, hence they are different and cannot be related. The Rohingyas, he said, are not considered as citizens of their own country, but Bangladeshis fought for their independence and more importantly, their territory.
He added the Rohingyas simply want the recognition of their identity as Myanmar nationals. They would be happy to go back and resettle in their country. Trustee and Member Secretary of LWM Ziauddin Tariq Ali said that the manner in which the civil society and social activists have handled the Rohingya situation is truly commendable, as they have been successful in preventing a backlash against the Buddhists of the country.
If the Rohingya crisis is not handled properly, he advised, then more such refugee crisis would spring up across the globe.
Speakers here on Thursday drew parallels between the Bangladeshis who took refuge in India during 1971 and the current Rohingyas sheltered in Cox’s Bazar.
In a panel discussion titled “1971 Refugee Experience: Reflection of Past and Present” organised by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and Liberation War Museum, they organised the event to mark the occasion of World Refugee Day, which was June 20. During his opening speech, UNHCR Deputy Country Representative Papa Kysma Sylla commended the government and the people of Bangladesh for allowing a sizeable Rohingya community to take shelter and provide necessary amenities. He expected top UN officials, including Secretary General Antonio Guterres, to pay a visit to Bangladesh, as they were invited previously by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in an attempt to witness the condition of the Rohingyas. The seminar was moderated by Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University’s International Relations department, and consisted of speakers Julian Francis and Meghna Guhathakurta. Julian Francis, a foreign friend of Bangladesh during the Liberation War, recollected his memories as a coordinator of Oxfam in Kolkata and spoke about the issue of humanitarian response in a refugee situation. He recalled how he had witnessed thousands of Bangladeshis entering India through the borders in West Bengal. When he had sent telegrams to
Oxfam’s Head Office in London, they thought the numbers were mistaken inflated. One interesting anecdote he shared was the convincing of then-Calcutta University medical college students, to provide medical treatment to the refugees, which he said would be integrated into their academic syllabus. This had inspired medical students from other states to follow suit and lend their support to most of the refugee camps. Regarding the current Rohingya refugees, he added that it is not just about providing them with relief materials, but more importantly how to keep them happy, which would help them to help forget about the ordeals. Executive Director at Research Initiatives, Bangladesh (RIB) Meghna Guhathakurta revealed that although she was not a refugee in 1971, but her experiences as a displaced individual shed light on her topic of challenges faced by women and children in displacement. After her father, educationist and Professor of English at Dhaka University Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta was killed during Operation Searchlight, they had to flee and seek shelter in multiple houses, finally ending up in a Christian orphanage, feigning as an orphan to hide her actual identity.
Although she opined that the current Rohingya exodus cannot be compared with that of 1971, she said that now with more facilities and awareness, there are scores of Rohingya women who can fend for themselves.
In several Rohingya camps, she found that educated Rohingya women are assigned as teachers in schools. It would benefit their community in the long run. A presentation by the Center for the Study of Genocide and Justice under LWM was given where a group of researchers had visited the Rohingya camps to extract testimonies from those who had experienced sexual violence at the hands of their oppressors in Myanmar.
Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed said that both the issues of 1971 and the current Rohingya crisis are from different time zones, hence they are different and cannot be related. The Rohingyas, he said, are not considered as citizens of their own country, but Bangladeshis fought for their independence and more importantly, their territory.
He added the Rohingyas simply want the recognition of their identity as Myanmar nationals. They would be happy to go back and resettle in their country. Trustee and Member Secretary of LWM Ziauddin Tariq Ali said that the manner in which the civil society and social activists have handled the Rohingya situation is truly commendable, as they have been successful in preventing a backlash against the Buddhists of the country.
If the Rohingya crisis is not handled properly, he advised, then more such refugee crisis would spring up across the globe.
