President assures Rohingyas of safe repatriation

Desk Report: President M Abdul Hamid on Sunday assured the Rohingyas of their safe and dignified return to their homeland in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

"Bangladesh government stood beside the displaced Rohingyas on the humanitarian grounds. . . Not only that the whole world is beside you," the President said while distributing relief goods to the displaced Rohingyas at Kutupalong in Ukhiya Upazila.

The President witnessed the conditions of the Rohingyas, spoke to them and listened to stories of their plights during his visit, President's Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told journalists this evening.

Abdul Hamid also visited a Rohingyas health camp and a biometric registration centre run by the Bangladesh army at Balukhali Math of Kutupalong.

Earlier, the President reached the Kutupalong Rohingya camp at about noon today as part of his two-day visit.

President Hamid was accompanied by Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury, secretaries concerned, senior civil and military officials among others. President Hamid's visit came on the heels of a deal signed by Bangladesh and Myanmar for Rohingya repatriation.

More than 620,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh since the August 25 army crackdown began in Rakhine while most of these forcibly displaced people are traumatized, hungry and some of them are with injuries caused by gunshots, shrapnel, fire and landmines. 

Earlier, on several occasions, 400,000 Rohingyas had been forced to take shelter in Bangladesh. Altogether Bangladesh is currently hosting over a million Rohingyas. 

As part of two-day programme, President Hamid will inaugurate a programme of Bangladesh navy "Indian Ocean Naval Symposium' (IONS) Multilateral Maritime Search Rescue Exercise -2017 (IMMSARFEX-2017) at Hotel Royal Tulip adjacent to the Unani Beach of Cox's Bazar.

The Press Secretary said the warships, navy chiefs, concerned high officials and maritime experts of some 32 countries, including nine observers, will take part in the programme. 

President Hamid will return to Bangabhaban tomorrow afternoon, he added. __ BSS

risingbd/Dhaka/November 26, 2017/A K Azad