The Prime Minister And The Rohingyas

Rohingyas

- Syed Badrul Ahsan

In September, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came forth with a concrete plan on what the world must do to assist Myanmar’s Rohingyas in their struggle for survival. In her five-point plan, spelt out in the course of her address at the United Nations General Assembly in September, the Bangladesh leader echoed not just the concerns of her country but also those of the rest of the world on the systematic persecution of the Rohingyas by the Myanmar authorities. In clear terms, the speech was in sharp contrast to the neither-here-nor-there remarks made by Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on the Myanmar media earlier. In broad measure, Sheikh Hasina’s speech, unlike any other comment made at the global level on a situation which gravely affects Bangladesh, can be regarded as a road map to a resolution of the conflict.

The Prime Minister’s address came against the background of what has been seen in Bangladesh as inaction by such nations as Russia, China and India on the issue. The government has consistently prided itself on its foreign policy, a significant plank of which has been a maintenance of balanced ties with its neighbours. In recent times, it has gone for energy deals with Moscow, bought submarines from Beijing and reached border and trade deals with Delhi. Bangladesh’s expectation, therefore, was that these three countries would bring their influence to bear on the situation created by the influx of Myanmar’s Rohingyas into its territory. That expectation has not been met, which has now raised the question of whether Bangladesh’s foreign policy is now in need of restructuring.