Bangladesh Ambassador Moshi briefs diplomats in Saudi Arabia on Rohingya issue

The Bangladesh Ambassador in Saudi Arabia Golam Moshi has briefed the foreign diplomats based in Riyadh on the latest situation of the Rohingya crisis.

The briefing on Tuesday followed Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen’s to diplomats in Dhaka against Myanmar’s “lies” on the repatriation issue.

More than 700,000 Rohingya people, mostly Muslim, have taken refuge in Bangladesh since August 2017 after the Myanmar army initiated a crackdown in the Rakhine state. Over 400,000 Rohingyas have been living in Bangladesh during the past few decades.

Bangladesh initiated the process of repatriating the Rohingyas in November 2018 after the Myanmar government gave in to international pressure and signed a deal to take them back.

The initiative, however, stalled after the Rohingyas refused to go back over fears about an adverse situation back in Myanmar. The international community has been calling for “voluntary, safe and dignified” return of Roihngyas to their homeland.

On the contrary, a Myanmar minister complained of non-cooperation on the part of the Bangladesh government in resolving the Rohingya issue at the ‘Future of Asia Conference’ in Japan in May.

The foreign minister slammed Myanmar for spreading ‘blatant lies’ and failing to ‘keeps its promise’.

The Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh said the ambassador also briefed the diplomats about the initiatives Bangladesh had taken to send them back to the Rakhine State.

About 60 ambassadors were present at the appraisal.