Bangladesh faces unprecedented crisis over providing aid to Rohingyas: PM
Parliament: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said Bangladesh is now on the verge of an unprecedented crisis over providing humanitarian assistance to tens of thousands of Rohingyas and repatriating them to their own country.
"The present situation is very much worse compared to any other time of the past," she said.
The Prime Minister said this while replying to a question from M Abdul Matin (Moulvibazar-2) during the PM's question-answer session in Parliament.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh has been successful to gain strong support from the international community to repatriate the Rohingya refugees. "I strongly believe that through the assistance from the international community we'll be successful to resolve the problem peacefully amid various adversities."
Sheikh Hasina said more than 10 lakh Rohingyas are now staying in Bangladesh, including the four lakh who had entered the country previously.
She also said the root of the Rohingya crisis lies in Myanmar and the country will have to resolve it as well. "It was a time-befitting decision of Bangladesh as the country of humanity to give shelter to the displaced Rohingya people," Hasina said adding that the name of Bangladesh is now being uttered by international leaders with great respect and honour.
She also said the government is working tirelessly to implement the five- point proposal she placed in the United Nations in its 72nd general assembly.
Replying to a supplementary question from Abdur Rahman Bodi, the Prime Minister said the government will provide food to the local Bangladeshi people who are facing problems to earn their livelihoods for sheltering the Rohingyas in the area.
Answering to another supplementary question from Nazibul Bashar Maizvandary, she said the government is very much aware so that the Rohingyas cannot get involved in any other activities in Bangladesh.
"I want to tell one thing, we believe in peace, we want to maintain good relations with our neighbours, we'll in no way allow anyone to use the land of Bangladesh to carry out any sort of terrorist acts or provocative activities in any other country, we won't tolerate this," she said.
Responding to Fazilatun Nasa Bappy, the Prime Minister said the United Nations secretary general talked to her on October 21 over telephone regarding the Rohingya issue.
"At that time I sought his cooperation in implementing my five-point proposal for the permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis, I firmly told him that Myanmar has to take steps for taking back their forcibly-displaced nationals soon with safety and dignity," she said.
Regarding BNP chief Khaleda Zia's speech during her recent visit to Rohingya camp, Hasina said there is nothing to show off. "It's the matter of feelings and realisation, I don't know she has that realisation or not."
The Prime Minister said the BNP chief concentrated on political showdown rather than providing humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya people.
Hasina said the Rohingya problem was created by BNP and her husband (Ziaur Rahman) created it. "The aim of BNP-Jamaat is to fish in troubled waters. They're always busy in that. They don't have any humane quality, I don't take her remarks seriously," she said.
Hasina also said the people of the country are showing sympathy to the Rohingya people as they have such humane quality. "But BNP-Jamaat, antil-iberation force, war criminals and those who burned people to death are exceptional. There is nothing to pay heed to their words. We'll continue our works," she said.