প্রকাশ: 27/06/2022
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has proposed that the
United Kingdom, a global leader in justice and human rights, could consider
resettling 1,00,000 Myanmar Rohingyas currently sheltered in Bangladesh to give
them a better life and lessen the unfair Rohingya burden on Bangladesh.
Momen made the proposal during a bilateral meeting with his
British counterpart Elizabeth Truss.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem
was present during the meeting that took place in Kigali on the sidelines of
the just-held Commonwealth Summit.
British Secretary of State Elizabeth Truss thanked
Bangladesh’s generous hosting of the Rohingyas and responded that “while the UK
could look into it, the best solution to the Rohingya crisis, however, lies in
their safe and sustainable return to their homeland in Myanmar”.
Foreign Minister Momen briefed his British Counterpart
Secretary Truss about the status of the protracted Rohingya crisis and
stalemate in the process of their safe and sustainable returns to Mynamar in
the absence of political commitment of Myanmar government, according to
Bangladesh High Commission in London.
Expressing concern for the British government at the current
political turmoil in Myanmar Truss reiterated the UK’s continued commitment to
resolve the Rohingya crisis and assured that together with the Asean and fellow
G7 countries, the UK would put increased pressure on Myanmar for a sustainable
resolution of the Rohingya crisis.
Giving historic references to earlier instances of en masse
influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh in the 70s and 90s, and their subsequent
voluntary repatriation by Myanmar through agreements and accords with
Bangladesh, Momen noted that Myanmar took them back as they were under
sanctions at that time by the West, which is not the present case, while UK and
other western countries continue to invest heavily into Mynamar, despite living
proof of their persecution of Rohingyas and adjudication of their justice at
the ICJ.
Momen also called upon the UK government to create pressure
on Myanmar for the immediate repatriation of their Rohingyas from Bangladesh
which simply cannot continue to take the burden of 1.1 million forcibly
displaced Myanmar nationals any longer.
The UK which has made $2.5 billion worth of investments into
Myanmar just over the past three years and more than 500 million of bilateral
trade, also needs to create pressure on Myanmar authorities to take back their
Rohingyas, Momen noted.
During their first official bilateral meeting in Kigali, the
two foreign ministers also reaffirmed the historic and value-based relations
between Bangladesh and the UK since Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.
They agreed to jointly celebrate the 50th anniversary of
Bangladesh-UK diplomatic relations through the exchange of high-level visits
and charting of an ambitious and ever-expanding Bangladesh-UK post-Brexit
strategic partnership including advancing shared security interest at the
Indian Ocean, enhanced trade, defence partnerships and higher education and
research.
Momen highlighted decreasing numbers of student and business
visas issued from the British High Commission in Dhaka and requested to
relocate students and business visa facility back to Dhaka to ensure at least
7,000 to 8,000 Bangladesh students enter the UK for high education each year.
To mark 50 years of Bangladesh-UK diplomatic relations, both
the ministers welcomed the proposals by the two foreign offices to jointly
organize a Global Girls Education Summit, a climate leaders’ dialogue, and a
Rohingya Conference in their capitals.
Both the ministers expressed deep concern about the current
Ukraine situation and agreed to work closely to restore regional peace,
security, and stability as well as global food and energy supply chains.
Momen said that Bangladesh remains deeply committed to
maintaining global peace and security.
In post-Brexit trade relations with the UK, one of
Bangladesh’s largest trade and investment partners, Momen sought an extension
of the UK's zero-duty GSP facility beyond 2029, especially given the losses
suffered by Bangladesh’s apparel industry owing to post-pandemic cancellations,
non-payments by UK retailers as well as the current cost of living index hike.
The two Ministers further agreed that under the
Bangladesh-UK Tarde and Investment Dialogue the two countries should explore
enhanced trade partnership and a future FTA.
Momen invited Secretary Truss to visit Bangladesh at the
earliest opportunity, especially during the historic year of Bangladesh-UK
diplomatic relations.
- UNB
প্রধান সম্পাদকঃ সৈয়দ বোরহান কবীর
ক্রিয়েটিভ মিডিয়া লিমিটেডের অঙ্গ প্রতিষ্ঠান
বার্তা এবং বাণিজ্যিক কার্যালয়ঃ ২/৩ , ব্লক - ডি , লালমাটিয়া , ঢাকা -১২০৭
নিবন্ধিত ঠিকানাঃ বাড়ি# ৪৩ (লেভেল-৫) , রোড#১৬ নতুন (পুরাতন ২৭) , ধানমন্ডি , ঢাকা- ১২০৯
ফোনঃ +৮৮-০২৯১২৩৬৭৭