Myanmar will destroy Bangladesh's economy with Rohingya crisis: Muhith

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said that tackling the Rohingya refugee crisis is the 'real' challenge Bangladesh is now facing as it may destroy the country's economy.

He says Myanmar is "destroying" Bangladesh's economy by pushing the Rohingyas through the border.

Over half a million Rohingyas have joined the 400,000 refugees in Bangladesh in the latest exodus since the army operation began in Rakhine State on Aug 25 following insurgent attacks on security forces.

The finance minister spoke to bdnews24.com in Washington, DC, on Saturday after a meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee or IMFC during the IMF-World Bank annual meeting.

Muhith said the Rohingya issue is being discussed at all the meetings he attended in the conference.

"I've presented the issue everywhere. They all assured us of cooperation. The World Bank also pledged help. They wanted to give both aid and loan," he said.

"It's right that we will get big funds from the donor countries and agencies. But it's also right that we will take a blow," he said, referring to the Rohingya crisis. 

Muhith came down hard on Myanmar for launching the brutal army operation against the Rohingyas.

Terming Myanmar a 'bloody rogue country', the finance minister said, "Myanmar will destroy Bangladesh's economy this year."

"This is the real crisis for Bangladesh. It's an attack on Bangladesh," he added.

He also criticised the Myanmar Army, which still controls the government machinery, including defence and security, even after Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's party won the election.

"They are the most anti-people army that anywhere in the world you have at the moment. That's Myanmar," Muhith said.

"The entire resource of the country is spent on defence, what bloody defence they have. Who are they defending themselves against? Nothing." he said.

Asked how the Rohingyas will affect Bangladesh's economy, the finance minister said, "We'll have to spend a big amount for the Rohingyas. This is worrying. I'll have to make changes in budget allocations after returning to Bangladesh."     

He also said Bangladesh would spend World Bank loan on Rohingyas on 'humanitarian grounds'.

"Our prime minister has opened the gate for the Rohingyas because she is a humanist. The entire world has thanked her," he said.

Muhith thinks Myanmar is not being pressured 'properly' by the international community to stop persecuting the Rohingyas and take them back.

"The pressure should come from China and Russia. But nothing has happened so far," he said.