National security adviser and high representative to the chief adviser Khalilur Rahman on Sunday said that the interim government had not discussed any humanitarian corridor to Rakhine state in Myanmar and no decision was made on the issue or no consensus was reached with any party.
He was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled 鈥楻epatriation of Rohingya in Bangladesh: strategic implications on regional security and ways ahead,鈥� jointly organised by the Bangladesh University of Professionals and the armed forces division.
Speaking at the event, foreign adviser Md Touhid Hossain called upon the international community to come forward and resolve the Rohingya issue, otherwise, he warned that it would be a problem for the entire region, not just for Bangladesh.
He laid emphasis on exploring ways to re-establish the rights of the Rohingyas so that they can return home with rights and security that they deserve.
Principal staff officer of the armed forces division Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hassan spoke as special guest.
Adviser Touhid said that they could not force the Rohingyas out as they needed to return home voluntarily. Highlighting the current situation in Rakhine, he said that the Rohingyas would not return to their homeland without security and rights.
鈥楢 reasonable security must be ensured for them,鈥� he said, noting that a complete civil war was going on in Myanmar.
Talking about different authorities of different natures within Myanmar, the adviser said that they could not stop bilateral negotiations but let us not be very hopeful of bilateral negotiations leading it to repatriation.鈥�
On August 25, 2017, hundreds of thousands of refugees started crossing the border to Bangladesh on foot and by boats amid indiscriminate killings and other violence in Myanmar鈥檚 Rakhine state.
Since 2017, Bangladesh has attempted at least twice to send the refugees back and has urged the international community to build pressure on Myanmar for a peaceful environment inside the country that could help start the repatriation.
The adviser said that they had not yet found a viable solution to the crisis, despite it burdening the country for a very long time.
Bangladesh is currently hosting over 1.3 million Rohingyas in Cox鈥檚 bazar and Bhasan Char Island but not a single Rohingya could be repatriated since their arrival eight years ago.
Touhid outlined Myanmar鈥檚 fractured power structure, identifying the military junta, the Arakan Army, and the National Unity Government as key stakeholders. The Arakan Army now controls large parts of Rakhine State.
Warning of the consequences of prolonged displacement, especially among camp-dwelling youth, Touhid said that it was unrealistic to expect one million people鈥攈alf of them youngsters鈥攖o remain peaceful indefinitely.
He called on the international community to maintain focus on the Rohingya crisis amid other global conflicts, praising the recent visit and remarks by the UN secretary-general as a welcome development but urging more sustained engagement.
鈥業 call on all of you to remain committed and work towards a durable, just solution,鈥� he added.
Foreign affairs analysis Professor Shahab Enam Khan said that the protracted Rohingya crisis had become a major national security concern for Bangladesh, with ramifications far beyond humanitarian aid.
Speaking as the keynote speaker at the seminar he highlighted that the situation in the Rohingya camps had become increasingly complex due to the involvement of transnational criminal networks and the continued absence of repatriation.
鈥楾he Rohingya issue is no longer confined to humanitarian assistance鈥攊t is now deeply entwined with our national security architecture,鈥� Professor Enam added.
