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Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman has called for stronger regional and international cooperation to achieve a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis, warning that the issue is no longer solely Bangladesh’s problem but a matter directly linked to regional security and stability.
He made the remarks while addressing the 33rd ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on Thursday.
“The Rohingya crisis is a political issue and must therefore be resolved through political means,” the foreign minister said, while reaffirming Bangladesh’s commitment to dialogue, multilateral cooperation and a rules-based international order.
Dr Khalil said Bangladesh had been hosting more than 1.3 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas for nearly a decade on humanitarian grounds.
The prolonged crisis, he warned, had exposed Bangladesh to a growing range of transnational crimes, including drug trafficking, human trafficking and the spread of illegal arms.
“The Rohingya are not stateless simply because of circumstances; they were deliberately made stateless,” he said, describing the crisis as a political failure that requires a political solution.
He urged ARF member states to take concerted action to help create conditions in Myanmar’s Rakhine State conducive to the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas.
On the sidelines of the ARF meeting, Dr Khalil held a series of bilateral meetings and courtesy exchanges with the foreign ministers of India, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Australia, as well as with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President Kaja Kallas.
During his meeting with Kallas, the two sides discussed strengthening Bangladesh-EU relations, expanding trade, reforming the United Nations, reinforcing multilateralism and securing continued international support for a sustainable resolution to the Rohingya crisis.
According to Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry, both sides expressed interest in further deepening existing cooperation between Bangladesh and the European Union, while also stressing the importance of stronger multilateral cooperation on global issues.
Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir was present at the meetings.
Earlier, Dr Khalil also met Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.
He also held a courtesy meeting and exchanged greetings with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar.
The diplomatic engagements came as Bangladesh continues to push for greater international involvement in resolving the Rohingya crisis and creating the necessary conditions for their safe and sustainable return to Myanmar.
