Bangladesh has urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) up to step up efforts for the sustainable and immediate repatriation of the Rohingya refugees to their homeland in the Rakhine state of Myanmar.
The country also mentioned that it cannot bear the immense socio-economic and environmental costs by hosting millions of refugees for an indefinite period.
Masud Bin Momen, the foreign secretary of Bangladesh, made the call during a meeting of the OIC Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee on Accountability for Human Rights Violations against the Rohingya people held in Islamabad.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 48th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in Islamabad from March 22 to 23.
The ten-member ad hoc committee was formed in line with the decision of the 45th CFM held in Dhaka in 2018 to ensure justice to the most persecuted Muslim minorities in the world.
The meeting discussed the updated status, especially of the recent hearing in February 2022, on the case filed by the Gambia, as the chair of the Ad hoc committee, at the International Court of Justice to hold Myanmar accountable for the violation of human rights against the Rohingya community.
The present status on the voluntary contribution by the member states and the summary of the fund requirements to manoeuvre the case was presented by The Gambia, a spokesperson of the foreign ministry added.
Foreign Secretary Momen, in his statement, reiterated the importance of repatriation of the Rohingya people to avoid transnational socio-economic catastrophe due to the hosting of over a million of Rohingya refugees, especially thousands of juveniles and youths apprehensive of no hope for their future.
While thanking the Gambia and the OIC and for the kind support for the legal action, he called for keeping the momentum going to provide justice to Rohingya.
He also called for strong solidarity from the member states by contributing voluntarily to meet the legal expenses of the case.
Turkey committed to contributing US $ 2,00,000 to the fund. The members of the ad-hoc committee praised Bangladesh for hosting this large number of refugees over the years and even providing bringing them within the Covid-19 vaccine programme.
The foreign secretary led a five-member delegation to the 48th Council of Foreign Ministers comprising Bangladesh’s Envoys to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and the Senior Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
