Rohingya crisis: BNP blasts PM for unwillingness to forge unity

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today sharply criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her unwillingness to forge a national unity with political parties to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

"You don't want to forge unity with BNP over the issue [Rohingya crisis] fearing that those countries supporting Myanmar may become unhappy with you for it," Fakhrul said while addressing a programme in Dhaka this afternoon.

The criticism from BNP came a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, addressing a press conference in Bangladesh Permanent Mission in New York, discarded any political compromise with the BNP blaming the “party’s link with terrorism and murder”.

"I am not interested in returning to those who are involved in politics of terrorism and murder. So, nobody should propose political negotiation with the BNP. Don’t come with such offers in the future," Hasina said in response of a question of journalists after her speech in the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

However, citing BNP founder late president Ziaur Rahman’s achievement to repatriate Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, Fakhrul said the ethnic community people intruded into Bangladesh two times and sent them back smoothly with the skilled leadership of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia.

“It’s the government’s utter failure as it has failed to realise the Rohingya crisis,” the BNP leader said.

He also criticised the prime minister as she did not describe the ongoing atrocities on Rohingyas as genocide during her speech given in the general assembly of the United Nations.   

“Prime Minister didn’t term the atrocities as genocide. She even didn’t express condemnation to Myanmar for the genocide. She fears of breaking relation with India and China,” he said.

Claiming that BNP has already called upon the countrymen to forge a national unity to deal with the Rohingya crisis, Fakhrul said they will be able to solve the crisis by forging the unity.