Myanmar exhibiting audacity because of ‘govt’s knee-jerk policy’: BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday alleged that Myanmar army is exhibiting audacity by mobilising troops along the Bangladesh border as a result of government’s ‘knee-jerk foreign policy’.
“The Myanmar army is showing the audacity to mobilise troops along the Bangladesh-Myanmar international border in a totally motivated and unjustified way taking full good thing about our government’s weak foreign policy,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, he further said, "With respect to BNP, I strongly protest and condemn this army deployment by the Myanmar army. I urge the existing subservient government to take interregional diplomatic initiatives alongside all-out preparations to prevent such evil acts by Myanmar.”
The BNP leader said the government is not raising voice against the unwarranted deployment of troops by Myanmar. “There's been huge uproar when troops are deployed along the Indo-China border, but our government is silent over the deployment of the army by Myanmar.”
He alleged that the Rohingya crisis is not resolved over the 3 years due to the government’s ‘inaction’. "They (govt) only has written a letter to the Security Council silently. Up to now, the government hasn't taken any effective step to solve the Rohingya issue.”
Fakhrul said the army deployment by Myanmar along the border can be an outcome of the Bangladesh government’s subservient policy and its own failure to mount strain on the neighbouring country to take back its nearly 12 lakh citizens who took shelter in Cox’s Bazar when confronted with mass killing, ethnic cleansing and limitless repression.
“This isolated government has didn't take multifaceted and coordinated efforts that are essential to resolve the Rohingya crisis. "We’re failing at all levels, globally--regionally and bilaterally--to address this matter,” he observed.
The BNP leader said Rohingya problem is getting complicated because the government has failed to convince the friendly countries to greatly help Bangladesh overcome the crisis created by Myanmar.
"We need to remember that the Rohingyas will be the most oppressed community on the globe. To keep this population alive on the world map, there’s no option to rehabilitating them within their homeland with due civil rights and dignity by turning Rakhine State in Myanmar a safe zone under international management and civilian supervision," he opined.
Fakhrul urged the federal government to revive democracy and people's to vote based on national consensus to get international community’s confidence, acceptance and sympathy to overcome the Rohingya crisis.
He said the federal government can follow the procedures and deals signed by Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia throughout their rules over the repatriation of displaced Rohingyas to get success in overcoming the existing crisis.
The BNP leader said the federal government does not have any position at the international level to create pressure on Myanmar to take its citizens back. “Specifically, China and India, who can play the main role and influence Myanmar, have taken a poor stance over the problem. So, interregional diplomatic efforts are crucial to have this problem resolved.”
