Bangladesh government has given explanation over the BBC report of floating Rohingyas on Andaman Sea. The explanation was given by the foreign ministry on Thursday. The foreign ministry said, recently a BBC report titled ‘Rohingya crisis: UN urges to rescue the floating Rohingyas on sea’ has caught the notice of Bangladesh government. In this report it was wrongly mentioned and claimed that Rohingyas were towards Bangladesh coast. On the other hand it was clearly mentioned in the UNHCR and UN press release that the boat was on the Andaman Sea. The UN notice clearly mentioned about the Andaman Sea. The floating boat on the Andaman was about 1,700 km far from Bangladesh, 492 km from Myanmar, 363 km from Thailand, 281 km from Indonesia and 141 km far from India. The boat was floating far away from Bangladesh water territory. It was also nearer to other countries’ water territories. The foreign ministry also said, Bangladesh is respectful to its international responsibility. In the past when other countries denied of taking the floating Rohingyas, at that time Bangladesh government came forward to save them. Now other countries should bear the responsibility as the boat is floating nearer to them. Bangladesh also thinks that these countries should obey the international laws and also should share the burden of Rohingyas. AH        

The Myanmar’s new military administration sent letters to all foreign missions in Naypyidaw, including Bangladesh embassy, in an efforts to justify the army’s takeover as a constitutional responsibility in view of alleged rigging in the country’s last general elections. “We got the letter (as well). They gave the letter to our Ambassador (to Myanmar),” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told reporters after attending a function today in the capital. He said the new Myanmar interim government conveyed that some 10.4 million fake votes were cast in the national election held in November last year. Myanmar military seized state power detaining the country’s de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, toppling her government on Monday and declared a one-year state of emergency. Earlier, the foreign minister told BSS that the letter was sent from the Military’s commander’s office not from Myanmar’s foreign ministry. Momen said Dhaka decided to “approach directly” the new Myanmar government to resume talks over Rohingya repatriation as soon as it set in while China previously extended a mediatory hand under a tripartite negotiation. Meanwhile, reports coming from other side of the border said regional military commanders on Friday visited for the third consecutive day the Muslim Rohingya community at their abode in Rakhine. The reports suggest the military commanders visibly made an effort to dispel the Rohingyas growing anxiety afresh after the army takeover in the country as a brutal 2017 army crackdown forced over a million of them to flee their home. The situation at that time forced Bangladesh to extend the forcibly displaced people makeshift shelter at bordering Cox’s Bazar, when it simultaneously launched a desperate campaign for their safe and dignified return. Bangladesh so far provided the neighbour biometric data of 8,30,000 Rohingyas while the Myanmar authority so far verified only 42,000 of them. Myanmar, however, is yet to take back a single Rohingya while repatriation attempts failed twice due to trust deficit among the Rohingyas about their safety and security in Rakhine state. Source: BSS AH

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave explanation of victory and defeat during her address to the nation from the sense of guilt. His remarks came in at a press conference held at party central office at Nayapaltan in the capital on Saturday. Mirza Fakhrul said, the remarks, the reports that came regarding the December 30 election proved that this election was not an election at all. Severe joke was made with the nation. For this election people’s confidence on the election institution has gone away. He said, for this election the confidence over state is fading way so that state mechanisms are being used, different agencies are being used. State has been made as opponent of people to a great extent- which was done by Awami League. Mirza Fakhrul said, no election was held in Bangladesh- all the conscious people of the country think so. Our alliance- Oikyafront including BNP rejected the results of that election and we demand a neutral election under a neutral government again. Senior leaders including BNP’s senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi were present at the press conference. AH