Tense Relations
The arrest of a prominent Hindu monk in Bangladesh has sparked a diplomatic tussle with India, highlighting a recurring point of contention in the bilateral relationship: the condition of minorities in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Monday that over 10 lakh Rohingyas who fled from Myanmar to her country in the wake of “persecution” are a “threat to the security” of the entire region as she urged the global community to resolve the issue.
Hasina inaugurated the Dhaka Global Dialogue 2019 where she said, “The Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh due to the military atrocities are not only a threat to Bangladesh but also to the regional security”.
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“I urge the world community to take appropriate action realising the gravity of the threat. It will not be possible to ensure development and prosperity of any country without having peace and safety,” she was quoted as saying by the official Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency.
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“Poverty is a major problem in the region, but I believe we can overcome it if we work together,” Hasina added.
According to the UN, as of May 24, 2018, more than 9,00,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar’s restive Rakhine State since 2017 after large-scale violence following a military crackdown. The exodus of refugees in large numbers has resulted in a major crisis in neighbouring Bangladesh.
Over 150 delegates from over 50 countries are taking part in the dialogue to discuss, ideate and debate the most pressing global imperatives.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, ORF President Samir Saran and BIISS Director General Major General AKM Abdur Rahman also spoke at the function.
At the UN General Assembly in September, the Prime Minister had highlighted the issue of Rohingya refugees becoming a regional problem.
Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbours and shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of northeastern states, including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.
(With PTI inputs)
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