As the poor Bangladeshi boat people are drifting in the South Asian sea and screaming for rescue, the Bangladesh government appears to be still not doing enough join the rescue operations and bring back the ill-fated people who were lured to the sea on promise of lucrative jobs in Malaysia exploiting their desperate economic needs. Meanwhile, news reports said the government of Malaysia and Indonesia have finally agreed on Wednesday to offer shelter and humanitarian assistance to 7,000 migrants, including Bangladeshis who were earlier turned away denying landing on their shore. Thai government has also agreed to engage in the process while Myanmar has softened stance on Rohingya issue. Earlier the Philippines government made the announcement warming our feeling that it is ready to shelter the migrants stranded in the Andaman Sea and the Straits of Malacca if their boats landed on the Philippines shores. Four UN organisations including UNHCR, the OHCHR, the IOM and Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children (SRSG) also issued call on the regional governments to give shelter to the people in a bid to saving their lives.
Reports on Wednesday said Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman after a hurriedly called meeting with his counterparts from Indonesia, Retno Marsudi and Thailand General Tanasak Patimapragor made the announcement of sheltering the migrants responding to calls from the international community to save the lives of the people in the sea without food and drinking water. Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah said the two countries agreed to give temporary shelter provided that the international community would do the resettlement and repatriation in one year. They have also invited other countries of the region to join in this endeavor.
As the regional initiative is unfolding to rescue the floating migrants, people in Bangladesh who were watching the development in deep despair feel reassured of their belief in humanity and welcome the gesture of the leaders of Indonesia and Malaysia in rescuing our drowning people. Announcing that it is their first duty now to reach the people in the sea and take them to shelter, they have in fact showed the urgency of the rescue operation and we believe Bangladesh should also join the rescue operations immediately.
But the most dismaying fact that the tragedy showed is that the Bangladesh government has no coordination of its administrative machinery to protecting the people from human traffickers and arranging their employment abroad through more secured formal channel. The Ministries of Home, Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Affairs are blaming each other while regional countries are engaging in rescuing our nationals.
We are proving less than human in not being seen actively engage in helping our own migrant workers dying at sea. They are seen as abandoned by us.
