Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Md Mostafizur Rahman has stressed that there is no alternative to the sustainable and dignified repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas, reiterating that they must ultimately return to their homeland.
Speaking as chief guest at a conference on the Rohingya crisis, he said humanitarian support must continue but long-term solutions depend on their safe return to Myanmar.
The event was organised yesterday by the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) with support from the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and BRAC.
The secretary noted that more than 1.3 million Rohingyas are currently living in 33 camps across Ukhiya and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar. Over the past eight years, the presence of such a large displaced population has placed considerable pressure on host communities.
He said the Rohingya crisis is not only a humanitarian issue but also “a matter of justice and global accountability,” urging the international community to take more effective steps to ensure their dignified repatriation.
During the day-long conference, Julhas Alam, Bureau Chief of the Associated Press (AP), presented the keynote paper.
The programme was presided over by Farida Parvin Chowdhury, President of the CJA Bangladesh Chapter, and attended by Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Mohammad Kamruzzaman, Head of the Rohingya Cell at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as local leaders.
