By Elishya Perera
DHAKA, Bangladesh (CWBN)_ India wants a safe, speedy and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees, the same way Bangladesh does, the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka, Vikram Kumar Doraiswami said on Sunday (Dec 20), during a media briefing held at the Chittagong Press Club auditorium in Dhaka.
Noting that there is no difference between the views of India and Bangladesh regarding the matter, Doraiswami said “India will cooperate in all cases (of repatriation)”.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), beginning 2017, more than 723,000 refugees fled prosecution and violence in Myanmar for Cox’s Bazar, and it is reported that Bangladesh has sheltered more than 1 million Rohingya refugees to date.
Doraiswami said that Bangladesh deserves praise for giving shelter to such a large number of refugees, adding that the facilities provided for them are excellent.
Recently, Bangladeshi authorities have begun moving hundreds of these refugees to Bhasan Char, which has sparked criticism, following reports of poor living conditions in the remote island, which alleged limited food and healthcare facilities, cramped and unhygienic living conditions, as well as cases of sexual harassment by both the Navy and local labourers engaging in extortion. However, Bangladeshi authorities have denied these claims and assured the international community of improved living conditions and security for these refugees.
When inquired about the killings of Bangladeshi nationals by India’s border security forces, Doraiswami said, “Illegal activities at the borders lead to most of the accidents”, and pointed out that 87 per cent of the shootings occur after 10pm, when trespassing often take place. The High Commissioner added that the number of such killings can be reduced if the people at the border can be more solvent and aware.
On Sunday, Doraiswami also visited the reminiscent of the anti-British movement at the European Club in Chittagong, which was attacked by the revolutionaries demanding for independence from the British monarchy. During his visit the High Commissioner paid homage to Pritilata Waddedar, a Bengali revolutionary nationalist of the anti-British movement set up by the Chittagong City Corporation near the club.
