Political commitment needed to resolve Rohingya crisis: Momen

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen
File photo

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen on Saturday said sincerity with political commitment of all friendly countries is needed to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

“We are always hopeful that this will resolve the Rohingya crisis .. but for that sincerity of the Myanmar government is needed .. political commitment of all our friendly countries will help resolve it ... if they don’t have the sincerity it would not be settled,” he said.

The minister was talking to reporters after a seminar titled “Rohingya Repatriation: A Pathway to Peace, Stability and Harmony in the Bay of Bengal Region” organised by the Diplomats World Publication magazine at a city hotel.

Momen urged the countries, those are investing in Myanmar heavily, to come forward for a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis for their own interests and to protect their investment.

Many countries, he said, showed interest in the Bay of Bengal region and they made investments and enhanced trade here.

“If this (Rohingya) problem is not resolved, this investment will be hurt because of terrorist activities (committed by Rohingyas),” he said, adding that peace is required in the region for sustainable investment.

Lieutenant general Md Mahfuzur Rahman (Retd.) moderated the seminar while Md Obaidul Haque, associate professor, Dhaka University, presented the keynote paper.

Former state minister for Foreign Affairs and executive advisor of the publication, Abul Hasan Chowdhury, executive editor of the publication Nazinur Rahim, Gareth John Evans, professor Michael W. Charney, major general Md Nayeem Ashfaque Chowdhury (Retd.), among others, spoke.