Bangladesh wants to solve Rohingya crisis thru’ discussion, PM reaffirms

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday reiterated Bangladesh’s stance on solving the Rohingya crisis with Myanmar through discussion, urging all concerned to perform their responsibilities properly to this regard.
‘Our aim is to solve the Rohingya crisis through talks and we’re working to this end,’ she said in her introductory speech during her visit to the defence ministry at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital in the morning.
Sheikh Hasina, who is also in-charge of the Ministry of Defence, paid her maiden visit to the ministry after assuming office as the prime minister for the fourth time after her party’s victory in the December-30 elections.
Pointing out Bangladesh’s foreign policy — friendship to all malice to none — the prime minister said that Bangladesh would never go for any conflict with Myanmar.
‘Our efforts will have to continue so that Myanmar takes back its forcibly displaced nationals through discussion and I would like to request all concerned to their duties in this regard,’ she said.
Hasina said that Bangladesh had set a unique example in the world by giving shelter to over 10 lakh Rohingyas. 
‘We did it on humanitarian grounds as we had an experience in this regard,’ she said while mentioning that one crore Bangladeshi refugees had taken shelter in India during the War of Independence.
The prime minister said that she and her younger sister had to stay abroad as refugees after the assassination of founder president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
‘We’ve given shelter to the Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds. We didn’t engage in any conflict with Myanmar. We held talks and signed agreement with Myanmar for their repatriation,’ she said.
Acting army chief Lieutenant General Md Shamsul Haque, chief of naval staff Admiral Aurangzeb Chowdhury, chief of air staff Air Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat and principal coordinator on the Sustainable Development Goals Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office Md Abul Kalam Azad were present.
PMO secretary Sajjadul Hassan, defence secretary Akhtar Hossain Bhuiyan, PM’s military secretary Major General Mian Mohammad Zainul Abedin, press secretary Ihsanul Karim and senior military officials were present.
The prime minister said that Bangladesh had proved that it was capable of tackling any situation whether it was created by nature or was manmade. 
‘Bangladesh has the strength to combat any disaster,’ she said.
Sheikh Hasina said that as an independent country, Bangladesh wanted to maintain peace with all countries. 
‘We want peace, not war. We want to maintain peaceful relations with all and we are moving with the foreign policy adopted by Bangabandhu,’ she said.
Hasina said that the country would have to stay prepared to give befitting replies in case of any attacks. 
‘We will have to stay prepared so that we can safeguard our independence and sovereignty. We also should prepare to maintain peace,’ she said.
‘If there is any problem with any country, we can solve it through discussion,’ she said referring to the peaceful solution of the maritime boundary disputes with India and Myanmar as well as the decade-long land boundary problem with New Delhi.
About the victory in the maritime boundary cases, the prime minister said that victory was achieved only because everyone concerned in Bangladesh had worked with sincerity, responsibility and dutifulness.
The prime minister put emphasis on imparting proper training and procuring modern equipment for the Bangladeshi peacekeepers so that they became experts in all the relevant fields.
‘The members of our armed forces and police are going to different United Nations missions to maintain peace in trouble-torn countries. I want them to become experts in all sectors and they need proper training and equipment for that,’ she said.
Terming the defence ministry as a symbol of the country’s independence and sovereignty, Hasina said that the ministry dealt with how to protect the country from the attacks of the external forces.
The prime minister also mentioned the various institutions under the Ministry of Defence, including the armed forces and the Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation, saying these were very important organisations of the country.
Describing the armed forces as a symbol of the country’s independence and sovereignty, Hasina said that members of the armed forces were playing a very important role in safeguarding the country.
She said that they were working with honesty, integrity and sincerity in the international arena, particularly at the UN peacekeeping missions.
In this regard, the prime minister said that various posts of the armed forces and the defence ministry had been reorganised in keeping with the developed countries.
The armed forces had been developed with the latest tools and technologies like other countries of the world through imparting the necessary training and providing other support, she added.
Hasina said that Bangladesh had already graduated into a developing country and everyone would have to work with integrity and sincerity to maintain the trend of advancement.
Referring to the long term plans of the government, including the 20 Year Perspective Plan and Delta Plan 2100, to further advance the country, the prime minister said that the new generations would be able to celebrate the country’s 100th anniversary of independence in 2071 as the most developed and prosperous country in South Asia.
She later visited the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum set up at the defence ministry in memory of the founder president.
While visiting the museum, she became emotional. She also signed the visitors’ book there.
The founder president used the current office of the defence ministry as his office when he was the prime minister and president of the country.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net