Kaladan News
Dated: Friday,
February 25, 2005
Burma FM
Reassures to Take Back Rohingya Refugees Soon
Chittagong,
Feb 25: The visiting Burma Foreign Minister (FM), Nyan
Win, yesterday reassured the Bangladesh
government of taking back the remaining Rohingya
refugees, sources said.
Nyan
Win arrived in Dhaka yesterday morning on a three-day
official visit at the invitation of Bangladesh FM and also had bilateral talks
with his counterpart M Morshed Khan on the first day
of his first-ever visit since assuming office as the Burma
foreign minister.
Most of the refugees have been
repatriated to Burma,
but there are still over 20,000 refugees living in two refugee camps of Kutupalong and Nayapara of Cox’s Bazar District. But, nearly 300,000 Burma Muslim ethnic
minorities, popularly known as Rohingyas, took
shelter in Bangladesh
in 1991-1992 to escape from the reported persecution by the military rulers of Burma.
The repatriation process is
still underway, as the Burma
authorities recently cleared a list of about 6,500 Rohingyas
for their repatriation to their country. The Burma FM said the process of their
repatriation will continue with the help of the UNHCR.
Briefing newsmen on the official
talks, the foreign secretary of Bangladesh,
Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, said the two sides had discussed ways for
further cooperation in the field of trade and commerce, direct road links
between the two countries and expansion of agriculture.
The two sides also agreed to work in close cooperation for strengthening such
regional cooperation like BIMST-EC and for socio-economic benefit of the two
nations.
Burma’s
Foreign Minister Nyan Win called on Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh Prime
Minister at her office in the afternoon. He explained Burma’s
domestic political situation during his meetings with Bangladesh
leaders.
Nyan Win had explained his country’s ‘seven-step
roadmap’ for restoration of democracy that it started with a national
convention in 17th February
2005. He also apprised Khaleda Zia about various developments in his country including
democratization process.
He will also visit Cox’s Bazar to see the proposed site of the bridge over the river
Naaf for a road link between the two countries.
The foreign secretary, Shamsher said the Bangladesh
and Burma road link would also
connect the two countries with Thailand
and China
widening economic cooperation among the connected countries.
A financial taskforce in this
regard will meet in March while technical taskforce has already been discussing
on the matter, he said. Regarding the tri-nation gas pipeline
project involving Bangladesh,
India
and Burma,
the foreign secretary said it was discussed in the meeting.
The countries will go ahead with
the project once the technical experts committee, now having a meeting in Rangon, completes a series of talks, he added.
The communications minister Nazmul Huda, the minister for
food and disaster management, Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf,
the adviser for foreign affairs, Reaz Rahman, and the foreign secretary, Shamsher
Mobin Chowdhury, were
present at the talks.
The Myanmar
delegation included a director general of the Burma’s
political department and the Burma
ambassador to Dhaka.
Nyan Win also
invited Khaleda Zia to visit
Burma. ##
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