Dhaka has expressed deep concern over the new arrivals of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals in recent times due to armed conflicts in Myanmar particularly in Rakhine state.
The concerned was expressed when Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh U Kyaw Soe Moe paid a courtesy call on Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin at Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, said a press release on Monday.
During the meeting, the foreign secretary urged to Myanmar to take all measures to contain armed conflict near the bordering areas of Bangladesh and infiltration of civilian and armed personnel from Rakhine into Bangladesh.
He stressed on the need for early, voluntary, and sustainable repatriation of the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals to their homeland.
In response, Myanmar Ambassador assured that repatriation of the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals in Myanmar will be commenced as soon as peace and order in Rakhine state are restored.
Both sides acknowledged the huge potentials of cooperation between the two countries in the areas like trade, shipping connectivity, energy, and agriculture.
Issues of other bilateral components between the two countries were discussed at the meeting.
Ambassador Moe congratulated the Foreign Secretary for assuming the new position and wished that during his tenure the existing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar will be further strengthened.
Foreign Secretary also congratulated him on his appointment as the Ambassador.
Myanmar has not taken back a single Rohingya in the last seven years yet while repatriation attempts failed twice due to trust deficit among the forcibly displaced people about their safety and security in Rakhine state.
Therefore, they (Rohingyas) are becoming frustrated due to protracted uncertainty over their repatriation which has a potential risk as it entices many of them to get involved in criminal activities.Since August 25 in 2017, Bangladesh has been hosting over 13 lakh forcefully displaced Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar district and most of them arrived there after a military crackdown by Myanmar, which the UN called a ‘textbook example of ethnic cleansing’ and other rights groups dubbed as ‘genocide’.
The world community, the UN, and the right bodies must come forward and extend all-out cooperation to Bangladesh to ensure smooth repatriation of Rohingyas.
They will also have to continue to put pressure on Myanmar military government to bring back its nationals from here in this regard.
Rohingyas are becoming frustrated due to protracted uncertainty over their repatriation which has a potential risk as it entices many of them to get involved in criminal activities.
Around 45,000 Rohingya babies are being born every year.
Local people of Cox's Bazar are facing serious difficulties and sufferings because of them (Rohingyas). As it is a big threat to our national security, all stakeholders should sincerely work to find a solution to this end.
However, in fact the incidents like murder, abduction, rape, mugging, and drug peddling are taking place regularly in the Rohingya camps as the law and order situation continues to deteriorate there.
Several killings happened across the refugee camps in the last seven years. In the last seven years many Rohingyas were murdered in the camps. The number of murders in the camp continued to increase over the years.
Earlier, the killing of Mohammad Mohib Ullah, a prominent community leader who campaigned for the Rohingya’s safe repatriation, brought the issue of security and crimes in the camps into sharp focus both at home and abroad.
After the murder, some measures were taken to bring the security situation under control. But the steps could not stop criminal activities there yet.
Several Rohingyas formed at least 20 gangs, who are now involved in serious crimes like arms and drugs peddling, human trafficking, gold smuggling, kidnapping and killing.
They are also committing robbery, burglary, cyber crime, sexual harassment and running illegal SIM and hundi trading.
These organised displaced Rohingya armed groups are also running juvenile gangs in order serve their purposes. Besides, they are also grabbing the local people’s lands in many ways.
After dusk, the refugee camps become safe haven for all criminal activities and a sense of foreboding fills the air.
Apart from law and order, the environment of Ukhia in Cox's Bazar, which has a deep forest, has been ruined by Rohingyas. They are reducing the forest by cutting tress and causing great environmental hazards in the area.
The world community should learn from Bangladesh how to stand beside the distressed humanity. Bangladesh provided shelter to the Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds. But now they are a big burden for Bangladesh.
