Sushma Swaraj in Dhaka: Only long-term solution to Rohingya crisis is rapid socio-economic, infra development

The External Affairs Minister arrived in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka today on a two-day visit to attend a joint consultative committee meeting to review the bilateral ties and discuss ways to further strengthen the relationship. Swaraj, who arrived on a special Indian aircraft, was received by her Bangladesh counterpart AH Mahmud Ali at the Bangabandhu Air Base in Dhaka. Also Read: Determined to protect our societies from threat of ideologies of hate: Sushma Swaraj in Dhaka

Myanmar doesn’t recognize Rohingya as an ethnic group and has denied them citizenship. The Buddhist-majority country has insisted they are all Bengali migrants from Bangladesh living illegally in the country. The minority community is also excluded from the official 135 ethnic groups in the country. Ever since August 25, more than 580,000 Rohingya from northern Rakhine have fled to Bangladesh after Myanmar’s security forces began a campaign against Rohingya villages. Myanmar’s government has said it was responding to attacks by Muslim insurgents, but the United Nations and others have said the response was disproportionate.

Earlier this month, Myanmar de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s government had said it was willing to take back Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh. For this, the government has announced it will form a working group to start the repatriation process. However, some protesters today, including some Buddhist monks, demanded that the government not take back the refugees.