Mirza Fakhrul recites poem on Rohingyas

After weeping for the Rohingyas during a speech at a programme earlier, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, this time, has recited a poem on the persecuted ethnic minority in Myanmar.

He was delivering a speech when he read out the poem by lyricist-filmmaker Gazi Mazharul Anwar at a photography and documentary exhibition titled 'Stop Genocide' of Jatiyatabai Samajik Sangskritk Dal at Segunbagicha in the capital on Monday. 

After watching the photographs and documentary on the persecution of the Rohingyas in Myanmar, Mirza Fakhrul said, "Only a small part of the horrific experience of the Rohingyas has been on display in this exhibition. You can see their plight firsthand if you visit the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.

"Such disrespect to humanity is unimaginable in the 21st century," he said.

The BNP leader said Mazharul, a member of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's Advisory Council, organised the exhibition and gave Fakhrul one of his poems.

He was visibly moved when he recited the poem 'Obak Hoe Bhabi' or 'Ponder with Surprise'.

Mirza Fakhrul thanked Mazharul "because he urged us to stand up instead of shedding tears in these days of misery."

He appealed to the international community to take steps for the repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.

Mazharul's daughter Dithi Anwar sang a song written by her father on the Rohingyas at the programme with music by Ahmed Kislu.

Fakhrul also spoke to journalists after the programme about the Bangladesh-Myanmar joint working group to repatriate the Rohingyas formed at a meeting between visiting Myanmar Minister U Kyaw Tint Swe and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali.

"This (joint panel) is totally an uncertain thing. This proves that the government is going to fail in resolving the Rohingya crisis soon," he said.