Hasina cautions about Rohingya Muslims, says they are a threat to security

New Delhi, Nov 15: Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina recently sounded a warning bell about the presence of Rohingya Muslims saying that “they are a threat to national and regional security”.

Inaugurating the Dhaka Global Dialogue 2019 on Monday Hasina said that the Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar are aa threat to the security of the region. Over 150 delegates from over 50 countries are taking part in the dialogue to discuss, ideate and debate the most pressing global imperatives. The Bangladesh Premier called on the global community to resolve the issue.

“I urge the world community to take appropriate action realizing the gravity of the threat. It will not be possible to ensure development and prosperity of any country without having peace and safety,” she was quoted as saying by the official Bangladesh Sangbad Sanstha (BSS) news agency.

“Poverty is a major problem in the region, but I believe we can overcome it if we work together,” Hasina added.

According to the UN, as of May 24, 2018, more than 9,00,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar’s restive Rakhine State since 2017 after large-scale violence following a military crackdown. The exodus of refugees in large numbers has resulted in a major crisis in neighboring Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, ORF President Samir Saran and BIISS Director General Major General AKM Abdur Rahman also spoke at the function.

At the UN General Assembly in September, the Prime Minister had highlighted the issue of Rohingya refugees becoming a regional problem.

Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbors and shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of northeastern states, including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.