Hasina seeks India help on Rohingyas
To meet Mamata in Kolkata today
In a significant move which may come as a major relief to India, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed on Friday pressed for the Rohingyas’ immediate return to Myanmar. To resolve the crisis, she also sought India’s support to her government to repatriate them home and called for mounting pressure on Myanmar.
However, Ms Hasina openly defended her government’s sheltering the Rohingyas in Bangladesh in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose government had ruled out any shelter for Rohingyas in India, citing serious security concerns. She was speaking at the Bangladesh Bhavan at Visva Bharati in Santiniketan after inaugurating the building along with Mr Modi.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who had earlier supported the Rohingyas’ shelter in the state, and state governor Keshari Nath Tripathi were also present. Sheikh Hasina earlier arrived in Kolkata from Dhaka on a two- day India visit.
On Saturday, Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to have a one- on- one meeting with Ms Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, where it is expected the Teesta water- sharing issue may be discussed. The Teesta Treaty between the two countries is yet to see the light of the day principally due to Ms Banerjee’s vociferous opposition.
The Bangladesh PM attended the Visva Bharati convocation at Santiniketan with Mr Modi, who is the “acharya” ( or chancellor) of the university, Ms Banerjee and Mr Tripathi. At Bangladesh Bhavan, Ms Hasina said: “You know, nearly 11 lakh Rohingyas have taken shelter on Bangladeshi soil. We
have given them shelter on humanitarian grounds. We want them to return to their homeland quickly.” Justifying her decision, she elaborated: “We cannot help but offer shelter to people who have been persecuted. We also could not help... and that is why we offered them shelter. Bangladesh is a country of 16 crore people. Rehana, my younger sister, asked me: ‘ Can’t you feed around 5- 7 lakh people when you feed around 16 crores, I told her I can do it also certainly’.” Before holding a meeting with Mr Modi on bilateral issues, including security and political affairs, Sheikh Hasina argued: “If needed, we will share our food and only then we will have our food.” Ms Hasina’a comments drew a thunderous applause from the audience. Seeking closer ties with India, she added: “We seek help from all. We want pressure created on the Myanmar government so that it takes back the Rohingyas. We want peace to prevail in this region.” In sharp contrast, the Rohingya issue was not touched upon in Mr Modi’s address, that followed Sheikh Hasina’s speech. The Bangladesh PM, without referring directly to the Teesta Treaty, noted that there were many issues which are yet to be sorted out between the two countries. “Still some issues are pending to be resolved. But I do not want to spoil the mood of this occasion by speaking about them here,” she said, while praising the exchange of enclaves, popularly known as Chhit Mahal in Bengali, between the two countries. “You will find that wars have been continuing between many countries in the world over the exchange of enclaves. But we, India and Bangladesh, exchanged the enclaves in an environment of harmony with a feeling of brotherhood and amidst joy. I consider it an example in the world where two neighbouring countries could do it finally with a festive spirit,” she said.
Ms Hasina added, “I turned so emotional that I could not control my tears in eyes. I felt that the way the amount of support we received from India in 1971, our neighbour, that is a big friend of ours, again stood by us.”