Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today underlined the need for a national consensus to address the Rohingya crisis, which has been further complicated by the ongoing civil war in Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine State.
“We achieved far less than we could have because there was no national consensus on Rohingya policy,” Touhid urged political parties to unify on the issue.
He was addressing a national dialogue on Rohingya policy organized by the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) of North South University (NSU) at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS).
Touhid stressed the importance of developing a minimum level of deterrence—not for war but to demonstrate Bangladesh’s strength and engage in multilateral negotiations.
He said that Myanmar must come to the negotiation; if they are unwilling, they need to understand there will be consequences.
Touhid reiterated that the displaced Rohingyas must return to Myanmar with guaranteed rights and safety to ensure a sustainable resolution to the crisis.
“We need a solution where they won’t return in five years. Rohingyas must go back with rights, and security,” he said.
Touhid described the Rohingya crisis as Bangladesh’s most pressing international issue, worsening with time.
BSS
