Dhaka seeks Washington’s support in Rohingya case with ICJ

Bangladesh has urged the United States to extend their support regarding the Rohingya case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague brought by The Gambia under the genocide convention.

Bangladesh also thanked the US side as it has decided to extend their support to the Rohingyas now living in Bhasan Char, reports UNB.

“We thank them (US side) as they will extend their support to the Bhasan Char,” Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy while briefing about his discussion with US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Michele J. Sison on Monday.

He said Bangladesh also thanked the US side recalling that they (US) in March determined members of the Myanmar military committed “genocide and crimes against humanity” against Rohingya following a rigorous factual and legal analysis.

“The issue of third country resettlement also came up in the discussion,” said the foreign secretary.

He said Bangladesh reiterated that repatriation of the Rohingyas to their place of origin in Rakhine State in a safe and dignified manner would be the key solution.

Foreign secretary Masud said Bangladesh does not subscribe to any idea of long-term hosting of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh and urged the international community to focus on their immediate safe return to Myanmar.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has welcomed the ruling by the ICJ in The Hague on July 22, rejecting Myanmar’s preliminary objections to the case brought by The Gambia under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention).

Responding to a question on elite force Rab, the foreign secretary said Bangladesh keeps working for withdrawal of sanctions on Rab following their legal process.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed and other officials are scheduled to attend the third United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit at the UN headquarters in New York on August 31-September 1.

Asked whether he will face any visa related problem due to US sanctions, the foreign secretary said they are yet to communicate and will try to know beforehand, noting that there are some exceptions.

He said they are discussing the loopholes and any inconsistency in the Digital Security Act (DSA) for its further improvement in terms of application so that no one faces any problem.

Masud said they discussed multilateral issues to strengthen cooperation in a number of areas including food security, health and human rights issues and discussed events during the high-level week of the UNGA.

He said the US side was very amazed to see vaccination of such a large number of people in Bangladesh and the US side is keen to do an event on Covid front.

Sison said the US is committed to strengthening cooperation for the full implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh.

She said discussion on cooperation and coordination with UN agencies in Bangladesh is critical to this effort.

Sison arrived here on Saturday evening as part of her tri-nation visit (India, Bangladesh and Kuwait) for consultations on a range of US multilateral priorities, including combating food insecurity, advancing global health, addressing human rights and humanitarian needs, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, and support for Rohingya refugees.

Her meetings with senior government officials focused on opportunities to deepen their cooperation at the United Nations, and US support for the candidacy of Doreen Bogdan-Martin to become the next Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union.

The US Assistant Secretary exchanged ideas on how the United States and other countries can collaborate on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

She has already visited India and will go to Kuwait from Dhaka as part of her tri-nation visit that will end on August 10.