Press Release: South Asian Studies, Bangladesh organized a Webinar on July 24, 2021 at 19:30 hours on ‘Rohingya Refugee Crisis and Role of Regional Powers.
Prime Discussants of the Webinar were former Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) Dr. M Sakhawat Hossain and former Ambassador of Bangladesh to Egypt and Japan Ambassador M Serajul Islam. Former Minister, former Chief of Air Staff and Vice Chairman of BNP, Air Vice Marshall Altaf Hossain Choudhury joined the Webinar as a special guest.
Taking part in the discussion on Rohingya refugee crisis Ambassador Serajul Islam referring UNHCR official said whatever happened in RakhaineState of Myanmar in 2017 was a ‘Textbook’ case of ‘Ethnic Cleansing’. He also referred ‘Doctors without Border’ and said a so called terrorist organization named Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) killed 12 persons including 4 soldiers of Myanmar Army on August 26, 2017. As a follow up action Myamar Army brutally killed 7,000 men, women and children of Rohingya Muslims which was a planned genocide – as viewed by ‘Doctors without Border’. He also referred the statement made by India’s External Affairs Minister in New Delhi on August 27, 2017 supporting the brutality of Myanmar Army and termed it as very unfortunate. According to him, India will never play any positive role in resolving Rohingya refugee crisis.
Brig Gen (Retd) Sakhawat Hossain fully supported the views and opinions of Ambassador Serajul Islam. He further added, for economic and strategic reasons India will never displease Myanmar. India has number of economic and strategic projects in RakhaineState of Myanmar including Kaladan project. India will never want these projects to be disturbed. So, Bangladesh should not expect that India will make positive move to resolve the Rohingya crisis by exerting pressure on Myanmar. Both Brig Gen (Retd) Sakhawat and Ambassador Serajul Islam said that China is maintaining a moderate position over the issue. But, it has its limitations. China is historically very close to Myanmar and also has huge economic and strategic interests in Myanmar. The recent Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project has changed the scenario tremendously. Now, Myanmar is immensely important to China. Thus, it will not be able to exert pressure on Myanmar. Both of them were in the opinion that China though has good relations with both Bangladesh and Myanmar; but the balance is tilted towards Myanmar.
According to Air Vice Marshall Altaf Hossain Choudhury, India never played any positive role in the past to resolve Rohingya crisis. It never supported Bangladesh over the issue in the UN. In future also it will never support Bangladesh on this issue. Instead, it will support Myanmar.
Under the prevailing circumstances, Bangladesh has to strengthen diplomatic maneuver and take along all the regional powers to get rid of the Rohingya refugee crisis.
