Not a single one of Rohingya camp-dwellers repatriated so far, Bangladesh is now faced with twin challenges from the emergence of Afghan refugee crisis and from international insistence on long-term arrangement for the displaced community from Myanmar.
Talking to the FE, high-ups in the foreign ministry and experts apprehended that the Afghan refugee situation may deflect the international focus from the Rohingya issue.
Bangladesh does not want that the international focus on the Rogingya crisis be deflected, foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen said while commenting on the horns of a dilemma.
Since August 25, 2017, nearly one million Rohingyas had fled from their homeland in Rakhine State of Myanmar in the face of brutal persecution by government security agencies and vigilantes.
Bangladesh managed to ink a China-brokered deal with Myanmar in 2018 for quick repatriation of the Rohingyas, but not a single one could be sent back to their home in the years gone by.
Two attempts were made for their return in November 2018, and in August 201, but to no avail as Rogingyas refused to go back for fear of fresh persecution and lack of conducive environment over there.
And Bangladesh is now facing multiple pressures from the international development partners to go for long-term arrangement for these refugees, who have already emerged as a socioeconomic threat to the host community.
Global lenders like the World Bank have already put forward a proposal for integration of Rohingyas with the host community, prompting outrage from government side.
"Our policy is very clear. We gave them a temporary shelter on humanitarian grounds and our prime objective in regards to the issue is to repatriate them to their home in Myanmar at the quickest possible time," Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen told the FE while commenting on the latest developments.
The international community should also focus on immediate repatriation as Rohingyas' bright future lies with their home in Myanmar, not in Bangladesh, he added.
Asked whether the delay could be construed as diplomatic failure, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said that throughout the world repatriation of displaced people or refugees is a complicated process.
"Bangladesh is hopeful about the repatriation" he added.
Bangladesh has been engaged in multilateral and bilateral negotiations to resolve the crisis since the beginning.
China, which has a strong influence over Myanmar, has been proactive in mediating the talks between Bangladesh and Myanmar but the Covid situation and the military coup in Myanmar disrupted the process, officials said.
Few months ago, China--which had headed off moves at the United Nations on assurance of a bilateral solution--informed Bangladesh that they were in touch with the Myanmar military rulers on the repatriation issue.
Beijing told the foreign ministry that Myanmar is busy addressing their domestic challenges and repatriation talks would start after the return of stability there.
"But, of late, we are not hearing from China that much about their communication with Myanmar on Rohingya issue," the Bangladesh foreign secretary said.
He mentioned that Bangladesh is also engaged with the ASEAN for resolving the crisis, since Myanmar is a member of the regional bloc.
An international affairs expert, Ambassador Humayun Kabir, feels that though the diplomatic effort is are on right track, it needs to be reinforced and redesigned with the change in perspective.
"The foreign ministry has been successful in engaging the international community to resolve the crisis. So, I do not say that they are failed," he said.
Mr Humayun said Bangladesh needs to redesign its diplomatic strategy in the face of the challenges like the emergence of the Afghan refugee crisis and international pressure for long-term stay of Rohingyas in Bangladesh.
However, Bangladesh also expressed its frustration over the engagement of a number of Western financial companies in Myanmar lately.
The western countries talk big about human rights but, at the same time, their banks are investing billions odd dollars in Myanmar instead of putting pressure on them, the Bangladesh foreign minister commented recently.
Bangladesh also has disputes with the international donors on issues like fencing the camps, restricting internet facilities.
But government officials say that Bangladesh is providing far more freedom to the Rohingyas than other refugee camps in the world.
According to reports of the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ICSG), a platform of aid agencies who are delivering humanitarian services for Rogingya refugees, since the onset of the crisis on 25 August 2017, donors have contributed over USD 2.59 billion.
The 2021 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya refugee response is 31 percent funded till last week with USD 295 million received against overall needs of USD 943 million.
Under the JRP the agencies seek funds for over 880,000 Rohingya refugees and 472,000 vulnerable Bangladeshis in Ukhiya and Teknaf Upazilas in Cox's Bazar district.
In total, the JRP aims to protect and assist 1.4 million people this year. More than half of this population constitutes women and children.
The JRP fund is being used for strengthening the protection of Rohingya refugees, delivering quality lifesaving assistance to those in need, fostering wellbeing of the communities surrounding the camps, and helping Rohingya refugees build their skills and capacities towards sustainable return and reintegration in Myanmar.
