Sushma Swaraj discusses Rohingya issue with Bangladesh PM over phone: Report

Swaraj spoke about India pushing Myanmar bilaterally and multilaterally so that they take back their refugees, said Bangladesh PM’s aide.

India is pushing Myanmar both bilaterally and multilaterally to take back Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled the Buddhist-majority nation following the ethnic violence, a top aide of Bangladesh Prime Minister quoted external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj as saying.

Rohingya refugees wait for a boat to cross a canal after crossing the border through the Naf river in Teknaf, Bangladesh. (File)

More than 300,000 Rohingya have poured into Bangladesh since the latest flare-up in violence on August 25, adding to around 300,000 refugees already living in Bangladesh, close to the border with Myanmar.

Swaraj, in a phone call, on Thursday spoke to Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina and assured her of India’s full support to Bangladesh’s stance over the Rohingya issue, Hasina’s deputy press secretary Nazrul Islam was quoted as saying by the bdnews24.com.

“India’s position is the same as Bangladesh’s over the Rohingya issue,” Nazrul quoted Swaraj as telling Hasina.

“She also spoke about India pushing Myanmar both bilaterally and multilaterally so that they take back their refugees. What India is saying is that Myanmar must stop atrocities against Rohingyas,” he added.

Hasina said the government had designated land for makeshift shelters of the Rohingya people, but if they stayed here for long, it would pose a big problem for Bangladesh.

Hasina also said she will raise the Rohingya issue at the UN general assembly in New York later this month.

India, on Thursday, rushed 53 tonnes of relief materials to Bangladesh and pledged all help to Dhaka in tackling the humanitarian crisis.

India’s high commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India will provide 7,000 tonnes of relief materials to Bangladesh.