Rohingya crisis: If not solved, it may harm stability in the region

Stressing the importance of a peaceful solution to the Rohingya crisis, President Abdul Hamid has said the crisis can destabilise the entire region if it is left unresolved.

The president was addressing the 5th Summit of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, yesterday.

Hamid said Bangladesh seeks a peaceful solution to the crisis and has signed instruments on repatriation with Myanmar.

He also sought support and cooperation from CICA partners so that the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals can return to their homeland with safety, security and dignity.

"The world knows Bangladesh hosts 1.1 million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals. You must be aware of the evidence of genocide and gross violation of human rights, which has been termed a 'textbook example of ethnic cleansing' and humanitarian catastrophe of unmanageable magnitude," said the president.

Mentioning that Asia is facing issues like violent extremism, international terrorism, forced migration, among others, which go beyond borders, Hamid underscored the need for coordinating response among the states to tackle those.

"Asian security is vulnerable as irregular migration, drug trafficking, territorial claims, ethnic conflicts, separatism, economic problems and climate change are visible here. To address these crucial challenges, CICA needs to enhance its capacity through promoting the concept of indivisible security."

The president said the CICA must work together so that the existing discords in the region do not impede the process of resolving issues related with security and cooperation in Asia.

During the conference, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, also the founder of Peace and National Unity, held meetings with the leaders of a number of CICA member states to discuss the condition and prospects of bilateral and multilateral relations.

The CICA, an intergovernmental forum and regional organisation, was established in 1992 with UN support.

Discussions on issues of security and cooperation in the Asia Pacific region and assistance in the global fight against terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and transnational crimes are the main objectives of this conference.