‘Rohingya rehabilitation project suicidal’

Government's decision to rehabilitate Rohingya refugees in an island of Noakhali will be suicidal, BNP Standing Committee Member Moudud Ahmed said today.

"It goes against the interest of Bangladesh," Moudud said, urging an immediate cancellation to the plan, in a programme at National Press Club in Dhaka.

Repatriation deal with Myanmar on one end and a rehabilitation project on another end is controversial, he said. "The project is encouraging more influx from Myanmar."

"If Rohingys are sheltered in Bangladesh, their demands may be increase in future. They may raise demand for education and power supplies," Moudud said.

Last Thursday, Bangladesh allocated over Tk 2,300 crore in project "Ashrayan-3" to rehabilitate the refugees stranded in Bangladesh in Bhashanchar, an island in Noakhali.

Also, Moudud alleged that it will be "impossible for Bangladesh" to repatriate the Rohingyas as the repatriation deal struck "is a trap sprung" by Myanmar.

The former law minister also referred to his party's participation in the next elections, subjected to a fair and congenial atmosphere, and the recent arrest warrant against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, which he termed was "unlawful".