Bangladesh brings diplomats from New Delhi to witness Rohingya plight

The foreign ministry is taking 15 non-resident diplomats to Cox’s Bazar to see Rohingya plight as Dhaka continues to exert pressure on Myanmar to take back its nationals using diplomatic tools.

The ambassadors or high commissioners are of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Mauritius, Portugal, Slovenia, Ukraine, and Kenya who look after Bangladesh affairs but have no mission in Dhaka.

The diplomats are based in New Delhi and currently attending the victory day celebrations in Dhaka.

High commissioner-designate of Nigeria and chargé d'affaires of Czech Republic, Austria, and Ghana are also on tour.

According to their itinerary, the non-resident diplomats will visit Kutupalong makeshift camp on Sunday.

File Photo: Dhaka-based diplomats visited refugee camps at Kutupalong in Cox's Bazar on Sept 13, 2017, amid a fresh wave of Rohingya exodus into Bangladesh.

“Every year we invite non-resident diplomats in the Victory day and Independence Day celebrations, but this year we have invited them to visit Cox’s Bazar also,” a senior official at the foreign ministry told bdnews24.com on Saturday.

“This is part of our effort to continue pressure on Myanmar,” the official who cannot be quoted said.

The foreign ministry earlier took all Dhaka-based head of missions to Cox’s Bazar as Myanmar denied international community access to Rakhine State after the ‘ethnic cleansing’ began on Aug 25.

Nearly 1 million Rohingyas are now living in Bangladesh after the fresh influx since the beginning of the latest crackdown.

Bangladesh has urged the UN Security Council to keep the Rohingya issue “alive” until a "logical conclusion" is reached over the crisis.

Rohingyas fleeing violence in Myanmar are building temporary residences on the Balukhali Hill in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhia. Photo: mostafigur rahman

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also made five-point proposals to the UN to resolve the decades-old crisis.

She continues to urge the international community to put pressure on Myanmar to take back their nationals from Bangladesh.

Bangladesh also signed a deal with Myanmar for their repatriation, but international community insisted the return in safe and voluntary manner.

After the camp visit in Cox's Bazar, the diplomats are expected to meet the prime minister in Dhaka in the evening.

They will return to New Delhi Monday.