PM for peaceful Rohingya repatriation: Quader

Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is continuing her attempt to repatriate Rohingya refugees to their homeland peacefully.

"Following the pragmatic move made by PM Sheikh Hasina, Myanmar is now experiencing the toughest international pressure to agree for repatriation of the Rohingyas, so it cannot be termed as a diplomatic failure" Quader said.

He was speaking at a discussion marking the National Mourning Day organised by BRTC Sramik Karmachari League at the Institution of Diploma Engineers in Dhaka.  

Quader, also Awami League general secretary, said it would be wrong to think that Myanmar has no powerful friends as the country has long been in an autocratic regime.

"Rather, the country has many powerful friends, as today's world is dependent on economic diplomacy, and amid such consequences, I think, diplomacy of our premier is going to be successful as the UN along with many European countries are now extending support to us," he claimed.

Quader came up with the remarks two days after the failure of the second repatriation attempt of the Rohingyas

Over 700,000 Rohingya refugees fled to Bangladesh escaping a brutal crackdown by the Myanmar army in Rahkine state of Myanmar since August 2017.

Citing the murder of a Jubo League leader allegedly by a group of Rohingya miscreants in Teknaf of Cox's Bazar on Friday, the minister said that there is no reason to think that all the Rohingyas are innocent.

"The murder was an instance of their frustration and desperate attitude but the situation is under control now," he claimed.