Bangladesh Govt to brief diplomats about Rohingya census Monday

Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Dhaka Tribune
June 19, 2016

The government is going to brief foreign diplomats about the latest Rohingya situation on Monday as it concluded the first ever census on the undocumented Myanmar nationals residing in Bangladesh.

Diplomats of Europe and American countries, and Southeast Asia will join the briefing, said an official of the Foreign Ministry.

“We have concluded the census on Rohingya and it is expected that we will get the final outcome within next two to three months,” he said.

The census was conducted in Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Patuakhali, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Khagrachari and Chittagong.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics conducted the census with its own fund to get a clear picture of how many undocumented Myanmar nationals are living in the country.

Another official said many said about half a million undocumented Rohingyas are living in Bangladesh but nobody can say for sure, what is the correct figure.

Meanwhile, Dhaka is dispatching its top diplomat to Myanmar to engage more extensively with the neighbouring country.

Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque is going to Myanmar on a two-day visit at the end of this month as a special envoy to the prime minister carrying a letter from her.

The secretary is scheduled to meet Myanmar President Htin Kyaw, Foreign Minister Aung Sun Suu Kyi and other senior officials of the country.

“He will give a message that Bangladesh has special attachment for Myanmar and the country wants to take the bilateral relations to new height,” the official said.

Lack of confidence has been continued for several decades between the two countries and Bangladesh wants to remove it with an open mind so that friendly environment can be created, he said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to Myanmar on a bilateral visit in 2011 and congratulated Aung Sun’s National League for Democracy party for its landslide victory in the last general election.