Speakers at a dialogue in Cox's Bazar said the repatriation process of Rohingyas may be delayed further due to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar.
They said the crisis will compound further and the pressing need now is to build adequate funds for the Rohingya people.
The speakers, including the Commissioner for Refugee Relief and Repatriation, expressed these views yesterday at a dialogue on the plan for post-Grand Bergen Commitment 2023 and Localisation Advocacy demand generation at the local non-governmental organisation PHALS initiative.
They said the main goal of the work of domestic and foreign NGOs and donor organisations and cooperating countries should be the repatriation of Rohingyas to their own country, Myanmar, not in any way in Bangladesh.
They said the Rohingya crisis is not only the problem of Cox's Bazar but the whole Bangladesh is facing problem for it. With one million Rohingyas, 30,000 children are born every year. This crisis is growing day by day.
They put emphasis on stronger media role in dealing with the Rohingya crisis.
Abu Morshed Chowdhury Khoka, executive director of PHALS, gave
a welcome speech at the beginning of the dialogue organised at the conference room of a hotel in Cox's Bazar.
Speaking at the event as chief guest, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Md Mizanur Rahman said, "It is not clear at this moment which group will discuss the issue of Rohingya repatriation because the conflict in Rakhine continues. Funds are decreasing day by day. But the problem of Rohingyas is not being solved. The only solution is repatriation. Therefore, the Rohingya crisis can only be resolved through repatriation. For this reason, all, including government representatives, must work together. Media should also play a role.”
Welcoming the initiative of PHALS, Mizanur Rahman said the worst part of Rohingya crisis is that their donations are decreasing day by day. We will have to deal with this crisis for a long time. In this situation, we cannot push back the Rohingyas, we cannot remain silent. So now we have to work with the reality.”
In the dialogue, Cox's Bazar Chamber of Commerce President Abu Morshed Chowdhury said, “The local and national level small organisations working to provide assistance to various humanitarian disasters with the urgency of social responsibility. Many of them do not have the skills, transparency when partnering with international donor organisations/intermediaries.”
Development activist Shishir Dutta, The Daily Star journalist Mohammad Ali Jinnat, Cox's Bazar Press Club General Secretary Mujibul Islam, Mukti Cox's Bazar Chief Executive Bimal Chandra Dey Sarkar, Dainik Janakantha's staff reporter HM Ershad, TTN executive Toufiqul Islam Lipu spoke at the dialogue. BRAC Grand Management Officer Mostafizur Rahman, Executive Director of PHALS Bangladesh Society Saiful Islam Chowdhury Kalim, SCS Chairman Jasmine Prema, NRC District Head Mahdi, Oxfam Representative, Maltazer District Head Sardar Matin, Joopjap CEO Md Nurul Amin , Genus chief advisor Ashish Dhar along with representatives of 65 local, national and international NGOs, government and private officials, media workers, women's society representatives, civil society representatives and representatives of various professions were present.