Bangladesh gave shelters to the driven out Rohingyas on humanitarian ground. Now those Rohingyas have become a spook in the throat of Bangladesh. On the other hand 19 lakh 6 thousand 657 Bangla speaking people have been excluded in the National Registration of Citizens(NRC) list in the Indian state of Assam.
This is an exclusive excerpt of an interview with former State Minister for foreign affairs Abul Hassan Chowdhury with Barta24.com. The interview was taken by Senior Correspondent of the news portal Shahjahan Molla. The interview contained the suggestions and the measures to be taken by the government as told by Abul Hassan Chowdhury.
Barta24.com: Is NRC, the politics of India only or it has any historical basis?
Abul Hassan Chowdhury: Definitely any happenings in our neighboring country will make us anxious. Our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu has taken a pragmatic view of strengthening bi-lateral relations with India so that we become a factor of anxiety to our neighbor. Our Prime Minister has taken a strong stand on this matter which is known to all including the leaders of our neighboring country. I became surprise that why India would try to affect such relation? But we really become anxious when India has constructed detention camps for the excluded people terming them as illegal from high level which has no historical basis. We become anxious when it is told that they would be pushed back to our country.
You see that there are many faces of diplomacy- some surfaced while some hidden. Now we are already heavily burdened with the Rohingyas. Our Prime Minister has been termed as the ‘Mother of Humanity’ for her humanely attitude to the Rohingyas. At that time many so called ‘pundits’ said that why we should give them shelter? But we have some history, tradition and cultural relations with the Rohingyas. We did the right thing at that time. But now we are facing big problem for doing that humanity. Now god forbid if the NRC excluded people added to this factor then it is matter of great concern for us.
We would expect that the matter will be discussed between our Prime Minister and her Indian counter part Narendra Modi which will be also discussed during Sheikh Hasinas’ Delhi visit in October.
Moreover the Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaisankar has assured us that NRC is the internal affairs of India so Bangladesh would have nothing to worry. We also hope that our present foreign minister is very much experienced and efficient and hope that he would deal the problem properly with his enormous diplomatic experience.
Barta24.com: Is any community has been targeted by NRC?
Abul Hassan Chowdhury: In the media it has been seen that they would grant citizenship to a particular community affecting the Muslims obviously. So the matter should be dealt with patient and maturity.
Barta24.com: Is there any thing to become anxious?
Abul Hassan Chwodhury: Obviously, it is a matter of concern for us. Only coming on the streets and protesting the NRC is not enough or solve the problem. It needs strong diplomacy into point of diplomacy which is being done by our Prime Minister. I had the opportunity to serve under her. I saw how she had solved the long standing problem of Farakkha by signing a 30 year water sharing pact with India in such a short time which had been pending for long time. She solved the armed uprisings in the hills within very short time. I hope that the problem will be solved by the dynamism of Sheikh Hasina.
Barta24.com: Would you tell us about the role of International community regarding NRC?
Abul Hassan Chowdhury: Is there any instance of solving any problem by the International community? Pakistan has gone to UN repeatedly over Kashmir issue but failed. We must attach importance to UN but cannot be depended much. It will not be wise. In the past we also took many problems to UN but got nothing. We rather did something bi-laterally.
Barta24.com: While other countries are not coming then what should we do now?
Abul Hassan Chowdhury: Every country thinks about from the perspective of their national interest. We should rather bring the problem of Rohingyas to the OIC who will strongly present it the UN. It is the burden of the whole world which we have shouldered.
Barta24.com: Is it a threat for our security if the Rohingyas stay here for a long time?
Abul Hassan Chowdhury: It is not threat for our security only also for our economy and environment. The big thing is that we don’t want to think beyond humanity. They are the citizens of a country but they cannot go there for lack of safety so we should take strong efforts to return them.
I think that it must be focused to ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries about the Rohingya problem. China and Japan can play a strong role on this huge refugee problem. This is not only the problem of Bangladesh but also of whole world.
Barta24.com: Bangladesh has created pressures on Myanmar but of no result. Next what to do?
Abul Hassan Chwodhury: During our great Liberation war our delegations had travelled around the globe to create opinion in favor of our cause similarly delegations led by our foreign minister should make frequent visits to countries for compelling Myanmar to take back their citizens with due dignity and honor. When there was problem in Afghanistan, they could not realize, now it has become problem for the whole world. So if Rohingya issue is not solved it might be a threat for the peace and security of the whole world.
Barta24.com: Thank you for giving us time.
Abul Hassan Chwodhury: I also thank you.