The overlooking of Rohingya issue in the just-concluded summit of the Bay of Bengal regional grouping has frustrated foreign relations experts.
They noted that the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSEC) should have at least called upon the stakeholders for a peaceful resolution of the 'most-pressing' crisis the region confronts.
"It is indeed frustrating. There should have been a call for peaceful resolution of the crisis. The summit deals with issues like extremism, terrorism but it was totally silent about the Rohingya issue," said ambassador Humayun Kabir.
The comprehensive approach should include preventing financing of terrorists and terrorist actions from territories under their control, blocking recruitment and cross-border movement of terrorists, countering radicalisation and misuse of internet for purposes of terrorism, and dismantling terrorist safe havens, according to the joint declaration on "Towards a Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal Region".
The statement came after the two-day fourth summit of the BIMSTEC in Kathmandu, Nepal, which ended on Friday.
"We understand that this is not the forum but since the Rohingya issue is the most important issue affecting many member countries, it would be appropriate if it was mentioned in the summit," Mr Kabir told the FE.
But somehow there were some manoeuvring and the issue was totally omitted as if this problem does not exist, which is "frustrating," he argued. "This will also raise question whether the BIMSTEC is addressing the real question or it is living on a theoretical ground."
Bangladesh is facing a problem with over one million refugees, who fled from another member country of the BIMSTEC. So when this issue was not mentioned in the summit, the relevance of this forum has been questioned, he pointed out.
The BIMSTEC is an international organisation of seven nations of South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Professor Imtiaz Ahmed of the International Relations Department of Dhaka University said the biggest challenge for the BIMSTEC is the Rohingya crisis, which is also one of the biggest refugee problems in the world.
"This grave problem takes place in the BIMSTEC region. The summit talks about terrorism, extremism but it has not uttered a single word about the Rohingya issue," he said.
Even the United Nations is vocal about this issue.
The total absence of Rohingya issue in the public discussions or documents of the summit raises doubt over its future, Professor Imtiaz, who is also the director of the Centre for Genocide Studies, told the FE.
He suggested a reform in its policy so that such a burning issue can be discussed otherwise, according to Professor Imtiaz, its future in the next 20 years will be like its last 20 years when it experienced little progress.
Former foreign secretary Towhid Hossain said not mentioning the Rohingya issue in the Summit was "upsetting".
Myanmar may have raised objection to such a move, he said.
"But I feel that at least the Summit could call upon the concerned parties to resolve the issue through peaceful negotiation," he added.
However, a senior official of the BIMSTEC preferring not to be named told the FE that the agenda of the summit were prepared unanimously and the Rohingya issue was not included in the agenda.
Since August 25, 2017, over 8oo thousand Rohingya fled to Bangladesh from their home in the Rakhine state of Myanmar in the face of massive atrocities against them.
