Allow int’l orgs in Rakhine: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Myanmar should allow international organisations to work in the Rakhine state to create an appropriate environment for Rohingya people to return.

The premier said this when Noeleen Heyzer, United Nations secretary-general's special envoy for Myanmar, called on her at her official residence Gono Bhaban, reports BSS.

Ihsanul Karim, PM's press secretary, briefed reporters after the meeting.

"We're pursuing this with Myanmar and had discussions. But, no response has come yet... How long can we host this huge number of people?" the premier was quoted as saying.

Some of the Rohingyas are already involved in criminal activities, including trafficking and drug abuse, she said, adding that they are also destroying the environment in the region. The UN special envoy said she visited Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar and had talks with them.

She said all, including UN agencies and NGOs, are working for Rohingyas in the camps.

Appreciating the country's efforts, she said Bangladesh needs a lot of support to deal with the Rohingya issue.

Heyzer said she also visited Myanmar and told its military government to find a solution.

She put emphasis on making the Rohingya crisis an agenda in the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting as well as the ASEAN-Bangladesh initiative to resolve the crisis.

Meanwhile, Rohingyas yesterday demonstrated, demanding their repatriation to Myanmar and trial of the genocide.

They observed programmes at different camps in Cox's Bazar to mark five years of the genocide that compelled Rohingyas to flee and take shelter in Bangladesh.

Thousands of Rohingyas gathered in different points of the camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf with placards, festoons and banners.

Mohammad Ali, a head majhi of Camp-13, said, "We want to go back to our motherland. We want that the perpetrators of the genocide should be tried and we should be given back the citizenship."

Mohammad Faisal, a Rohingya leader of Camp-16, said, "Today [Thursday], we gathered to remember what happened to us five years back. We also want to send a message to the world that we want to go back to Myanmar."

Cox's Bazar Additional RRRC Shamsuddoza said Rohingyas were given permission to hold rallies and discussions on a limited scale, and they held programmes at 20 places of 34 camps.