Westerners blamed for prolonging Rohingya problem
Wed, Jun 8th, 2011 5:10 pm BdST
Dhaka, June 8 (bdnews24.com) — The food minister has accused the western countries of prolonging the Rohingya problem in Bangladesh.
"This is not possible for a poor country like Bangladesh to take care of huge Rohingya refugees for a long time. They (Westerners) are asking Bangladesh to increase support to the Rohingyas, keeping the problem alive," Abdur Razzaque told reporters on Wednesday.
He made the remarks after a meeting with US assistant secretary for population, refugee and migration Eric Schwartz and assistant deputy secretary Kelly Clements.
About Rohingyas' involvement in drug peddling and militancy, Razzaque said, "They (Rohingyas) are tainting Bangladesh's image abroad. The poverty level in Cox's Bazar and its adjoining areas has come down further due to their push-in."
"This is not possible for a poor country like Bangladesh to take care of huge Rohingya refugees for a long time. They (Westerners) are asking Bangladesh to increase support to the Rohingyas, keeping the problem alive," Abdur Razzaque told reporters on Wednesday.
He made the remarks after a meeting with US assistant secretary for population, refugee and migration Eric Schwartz and assistant deputy secretary Kelly Clements.
About Rohingyas' involvement in drug peddling and militancy, Razzaque said, "They (Rohingyas) are tainting Bangladesh's image abroad. The poverty level in Cox's Bazar and its adjoining areas has come down further due to their push-in."
About Rohingyas' involvement in drug peddling and militancy, Razzaque said, "They (Rohingyas) are tainting Bangladesh's image abroad. The poverty level in Cox's Bazar and its adjoining areas has come down further due to their push-in."
"There're some 250,000 Royingyas in Bangladesh and of them 24,000 live in two camps of Cox's Bazar alone," he told reporters.
"The United States has recommended registering all the Rohingyas. If they are registered what will happen to those who will infiltrate later? The issue needs to be settled permanently."
Reacting to Schwartz's comments on Rohingyas' malnutrition, Razzaque said around 25-30 percent Bangladeshi people themselves suffer from malnutrition.
The food minister urged the UN and other international development partners to give more attention to the issue.
The Rohingya refugees fled to neighbouring Bangladesh amid persecution in their homeland by the Myanmar junta since 1978.
"There're some 250,000 Royingyas in Bangladesh and of them 24,000 live in two camps of Cox's Bazar alone," he told reporters.
"The United States has recommended registering all the Rohingyas. If they are registered what will happen to those who will infiltrate later? The issue needs to be settled permanently."
Reacting to Schwartz's comments on Rohingyas' malnutrition, Razzaque said around 25-30 percent Bangladeshi people themselves suffer from malnutrition.
The food minister urged the UN and other international development partners to give more attention to the issue.
The Rohingya refugees fled to neighbouring Bangladesh amid persecution in their homeland by the Myanmar junta since 1978.
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