Rohingya crisis both humanitarian and security issue: Bangladesh minister

Terming the Rohinhya issue as humanitarian, a Bangladesh minister on Monday said the presence of the refugees in his country also had a security angle because of which the administration has started their registration.

Condemning the attacks on the Myanamar security forces allegedly launched by the Rohingya community, Bangladesh Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Shahriar Alam said his government has ordered the administration to ensure they do not leave the areas earmarked for them.

"We have asked the law enforcement agencies and the local administration to take measures so that the Rohingya population do not move out of the areas earmarked for them," he said.

"We have always condemned the attacks (on Myanmar security forces) and we will continue to do so in future," he said.

He said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would broach the Rohingya issue at the United National General Assembly session later this week.

Over eight lakh Rohingya refugees were now sheltered in Bangladesh.

Alam said Bangladesh had given proposals to Myanmar for talks on the Rohingya crisis, but did not receive any "favourable response".

"But there is possibility of talks at ministerial level on the sidelines of the UN meet," he said.

Bangladesh has given a "note verbale"to the Myanmar High Commissioner's office in Dhaka regarding use of land mines at the border between the two nations to prevent the Rohingyas from moving into Bangladesh.

He said Bangladesh medical authorities were treating three Rohingya Muslims who were injured in mine blasts while trying to flee Rakhine state and move into Bangladesh. The bodies of two of those killed in the blasts were also now in Bangladesh.

Alam said though the presence of the Rohingyas at this moment was not impacting the Bangladesh economy, his country wanted a solution to the crisis so that the influx was stopped.

--IANS

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