Rohingya crisis posing new security risks

Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain has warned that the unresolved Rohingya crisis could soon escalate into a serious threat to regional security if a sustainable solution is not urgently pursued.

"Our humanitarian act has put us in immense socio-economic and environmental challenges, and the situation is now posing new security risks."

The adviser made the remark while addressing a high-level open debate at the United Nations Security Council titled "The impact of poverty, underdevelopment and conflict on international peace and security" on Thursday at the UN headquarters in New York, BSS reported yesterday.

Touhid pointed out that for over eight years, Bangladesh has been hosting 1.2 million Rohingya people who fled from Myanmar in the face of persecution by the military junta.

Saying that protracted crises often emerge from systemic marginalisation, the adviser called for renewed international attention and action to ensure a repatriation of the Rohingyas with safety and rights.

"This is not only a matter of justice but also vital for preventing the root cause of a potential instability in our region."

Touhid said the world today is marked by the interconnected challenges of poverty, underdevelopment, and conflict.

"If we are to preserve international peace and security, addressing these challenges is not optional -- it is essential."

He said that the current global development and security landscape is shaped by long-standing inequities, many of which stem from centuries of political subjugation and economic exploitation.

"Correcting these imbalances is our shared responsibility."

The foreign adviser further said Bangladesh remains committed to doing its part, and to working alongside all concerned in pursuit of a more just, peaceful, and secure world.