DHAKA: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that the ruling Awami League government is playing a silent role on Rohingya issue.

He made the claim while addressing as chief guest at a human chain organized in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Friday morning (Sep 8).

The human chain was organized to protest against the violence being conducted on the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.

Fakhrul said when the whole world has become vocal against the Rohingya repression, Bangladesh government is silent. At first the government pushed back the fleeing Rohingyas. Now when hundreds of people are dying, their villages are being torched, then our government has become quiet. 

Blaming the ruling government of failure to resolve the Rohingya issue using humanitarian and diplomatic means, Fakhrul said the government has failed to take firm steps for providing shelter to fleeing Rohingyas. They failed because they are not the government by the elected people and therefore lack accountability.

“In 1979, similar incident happened when Rohingyas entered Bangladesh to escape ethnic violence and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman provided them shelter, food and medical treatment. Moreover, he was able to force Myanmar to take back its citizens through diplomatic means. Following the example, Khaleda Zia also repeated the action in 1992.”

Fakhrul finally said, “Now this ruling government is saying that finding solution to Rohingya crisis is not their responsibility. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself said so. But it is our fundamental responsibility to stand beside the helpless Rohingyas and to ensure them shelter, food, security and treatment. At the same time, we have to find a way to send them back to Myanmar by diplomatic means.”

BDST: 1512 HRS, SEP 8, 2017
AP