Rohingya return is also India’s ‘national interest’, says India’s External Affairs Minister Jaishankar

The return of Rohingyas to their place of origin is also India’s ‘national interest’ along with Bangladesh and Myanmar, visiting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said.

“We agreed that safe, speedy and sustainable return of displaced persons (Rohingyas) is in the national interest of all three countries - Bangladesh, Myanmar, and India,” he said.

The new external affairs minister made the remarks at a joint briefing with his Bangladesh counterpart AK Abdul Momen at the state guesthouse Jamuna after bilateral talks on Tuesday.

Momen said he was “excited” as they had a “very good meeting”.

“We more or less came to a consensus on all issues,” he said, without naming the issues on agenda.

Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka on Monday night in a courtesy visit, first after becoming the minister. He started his official engagements on Tuesday by paying respects to Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the ‘Bangabandhu Museum’ in Dhanmondi.

At the bilateral meeting, they touched almost all issues of bilateral and international interests.

India has been criticised by many in Bangladesh for not doing enough to resolve Rohingya crisis, despite the fact that New Delhi launched massive humanitarian operation soon after the latest crisis began in Aug 2017.

India also built nearly 250 houses in the Rakhine State as the discussion of repatriation is going on. Myanmar through media announced to start the process on Aug 22 again, after a botched attempt in Nov last year when Rohingyas refused to go back as Myanmar could not ensure their rights, safety and security.

Bangladesh maintains the return will be “safe, voluntary and dignified”.

Jaishankar told the meeting that they “reaffirmed the readiness to provide more assistance to the displaced persons in Bangladesh and to improve socio-economic conditions in the Rakhine State”.

“Our partnership with Bangladesh remains an example what neighbours can do together,” he said, adding that his Prime Minister Narendra Modi is determined to ensure this partnership remains a “role model” in South Asia.

The minister will leave Dhaka on Wednesday morning.