Print Date: September 1, 2026 ||
Publish Date: August 18, 2026
Dhaka Rejects Myanmar’s ‘Bengali’ Label for Rohingyas
Sheikh Md. Belayet Hossain, Staff Reporter ||
Bangladesh does not
agree with Myanmar’s recent statement describing Rohingyas who fled to
Bangladesh as “Bengalis,” Foreign Affairs State Minister Shama Obaid said on
Tuesday.She also said
Bangladesh is working to build international pressure on the Myanmar government
and the Arakan Army to facilitate the repatriation of Rohingyas.The state minister
made the remarks while briefing journalists in Dhaka after meeting Myanmar’s
ambassador on Tuesday afternoon.We certainly do not
agree with that. They have their own identity, and they will return with that
identity, Shama Obaid said.She described the
meeting with the Myanmar ambassador as positive and said the ambassador had
assured her that he would discuss the issues with his government and take steps
to address them quickly.Bangladesh seeks international pressureShama Obaid said
Bangladesh provided shelter to the Rohingyas in 2017 on humanitarian and human
rights grounds.She said Dhaka has
maintained communication with the Myanmar government because it wants to begin
the repatriation process.Bangladesh is also
seeking greater involvement from the international community, she said.Referring to
China’s role, the state minister said Beijing had assured Bangladesh during the
prime minister’s recent visit to China that it would exert sufficient pressure
on Myanmar to help resolve the Rohingya crisis.‘Not every issue needs a public protest’Responding to a
question about why Bangladesh did not formally protest Myanmar’s statement that
Rohingya repatriation should be resolved through bilateral discussions rather
than international pressure, Shama Obaid said public protests do not
necessarily bring solutions.She said Bangladesh
has consistently maintained that international pressure must be applied to both
the Myanmar government and the Arakan Army.We want to have
confidence in the Myanmar government, while also urging the international community
to put greater pressure on Myanmar, she said.
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