E-Paper
India backs Bangladesh efforts to repatriate Rohingya home
India’s position was conveyed in a letter written by external affairs minister S Jaishankar to his Bangladesh counterpart AK Abdul Momen on July 2.
India has acknowledged the urgency on the issue of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and backed efforts for their early, safe and sustainable repatriation to Rakhine state in Myanmar.
India’s position was conveyed in a letter written by external affairs minister S Jaishankar to his Bangladesh counterpart AK Abdul Momen on July 2. Jaishankar expressed India’s appreciation for the “humanistic spirit of the government and the people of Bangladesh in hosting displaced people from the Rakhine state of Myanmar”.
“As a neighbour of both Bangladesh and Myanmar, we fully understand the urgency of this issue and an early, safe (and) sustainable repatriation of displaced persons from Rakhine is in the collective interest of all,” said the letter which was accessed by HT.
India has maintained a cautious position on the Rohingya refugees in view of its good relations with both Bangladesh and Myanmar.
In recent years, India has strengthened connectivity and trade with Bangladesh and also stepped up security cooperation. Bangladesh, on its part, has urged India to impress on Myanmar the need to begin the process of repatriating nearly one million Rohingya refugees living in massive camps at places such as Cox’s Bazar.
India, which depends on security cooperation with Myanmar to curb the activities of militant groups in its northeastern states, has so far been reluctant to push the issue of the Rohingya refugees.
Jaishankar wrote the letter in response to the congratulations offered by Momen for India’s recent election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2021-22 term. He also thanked Bangladesh for its support for India’s candidature.
He also reassured Momen of India’s “steadfast and continued support to the government and people of Bangladesh” in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
