Rohingya crisis created by Myanmar; must be solved by them: Bangladesh PM seeks UN focus

Raising the issue of the presence of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh for more than three years, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged the global community to play a more "effective role" in finding a solution. She said that the problem was created by Myanmar and its solution "must be found" in Myanmar.

'Play more effective role for a solution'

Sheikh Hasina in a pre-recorded speech to the UN General Assembly on Saturday said, "Bangladesh provided temporary shelter to over 1.1 million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals. More than three years have elapsed. Regrettably, not a single Rohingya could be repatriated. The problem was created by Myanmar and its solution must be found in Myanmar. I request the international community to play a more effective role for a solution to the crisis."

Nearly one million Rohingya Muslims fled a crackdown by the Myanmarese military in 2017 in Rakhine state and are living in camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow Rohingyas to return to Rakhine and grant them citizenship rights.

Like many of her counterparts, Prime Minister Hasina outlined steps her Government has taken to address the Coronavirus crisis and mitigate its impacts. Although COVID-19 has impeded economic progress in Bangladesh, she said the authorities implemented initiatives which prioritized both lives and livelihoods, such as introducing some $13.25 billion in stimulus packages for industries and expanding social safety nets. 

She further spoke about the challenges posed by COVID-19 outbreak and appealed to the international community to combat the virus with a collective will. "Just as the Second World War created opportunities for countries to come together in their efforts to cooperate, through the establishment of the United Nations, similarly this pandemic has emphasised the need for collective action under the guidance of right leadership," the Bangalseh Prime Minister asserted.

READ | Reform, perform & transform: PM Modi highlights India's mantra at UNGA; lists initiatives

READ | PM Modi's UNGA speech: From UN reforms & expanded role for India to vaccine potential

'Capacity to go for vaccine production in mass-scale'

"The pandemic is a stark reminder that our fates are interconnected and that no one is secured until everyone is secured," she said. The Bangladesh Prime Minister also sought for technical know-how and patents so that her country can go for vaccine production in mass-scale.

"We hope that the COVID-19 vaccine will soon be available in the world. It is imperative to treat the vaccine as a 'global public good'. We need to ensure the timely availability of this vaccine to all countries at the same time," she said. "If we are provided with the technical know-how and patents, the pharmaceutical industry of Bangladesh has the capacity to go for vaccine production in mass-scale," Hasina concluded.

READ | Rajnath Singh hails PM's UNGA address, says 'world heard the voice of confident India'

READ | Alongside Imran Khan's UNGA rant, Pak's Hizb-ul makes terror threat against Indian leaders