Bangladesh seeks international support to overcome Rohingya crisis

A Bangladeshi diplomat Saturday stressed the need for international help to overcome the Rohingya refugee crisis in the country and said being the largest nation in South Asia, India had a huge role to play in building trust in the region.

Shahanaj Akhter Ranu, the political counsellor of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in the city, said political stability was necessary for economic growth and the non-state refugee issue was having an impact on the neighbouring country.

"We need international help and cooperation to repatriate the Rohingya people to their homeland," she said at the MCCI Logistics Forum.

India had more responsibility in building trust in the region, being the largest country in South Asia, Ranu added.

Bangladesh had in the past also sought India's support in handling the Rohingya issue by mounting pressure on Myanmar to take back the refugees who had taken shelter in the country.

According to the United Nations (UN), nearly seven lakh Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August 2017.

Bangladesh has accused the Myanmar government of failing to tackle the concerns over the Rohingya Muslims who fled the country and urged the UN Security Council to take action to ensure their safe return home.

Ranu also called for a faster implementation of the BBIN MVA (The Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement) for a greater economic growth in the region.

Bangladesh, India and Nepal have already given their nod to the operating procedures for the movement of passenger vehicles in the sub-region.

(With inputs from agencies.)