Stressing the importance of a peaceful solution to the
Rohingya crisis, President Abdul Hamid has said the crisis can destabilize the
entire region if it is left unresolved.
The president was addressing the 5th Summit of Conference
on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at Dushanbe, the
capital of Tajikistan, yesterday.
Hamid said Bangladesh seeks a peaceful solution to the
crisis and has signed instruments on repatriation with Myanmar.
He also sought support and cooperation from CICA partners
so that the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals can return to their homeland
with safety, security and dignity.
“The world knows Bangladesh hosts 1.1 million forcibly
displaced Myanmar nationals. You must be aware of the evidence of genocide and
gross violation of human rights, which has been termed a ‘textbook example of
ethnic cleansing’ and humanitarian catastrophe of unmanageable magnitude,” said
the president.
Mentioning that Asia is facing issues like violent
extremism, international terrorism, forced migration, among others, which go
beyond borders, Hamid underscored the need for coordinating response among the
states to tackle those.
“Asian security is vulnerable as irregular migration,
drug trafficking, territorial claims, ethnic conflicts, separatism, economic
problems and climate change are visible here. To address these crucial
challenges, CICA needs to enhance its capacity through promoting the concept of
indivisible security.”
The president said the CICA must work together so that
the existing discords in the region do not impede the process of resolving
issues related with security and cooperation in Asia.
During the conference, Tajikistan President Emomali
Rahmon, also the founder of Peace and National Unity, held meetings with the
leaders of a number of CICA member states to discuss the condition and
prospects of bilateral and multilateral relations.
The CICA, an intergovernmental forum and regional
organisation, was established in 1992 with UN support.
Discussions on issues of security and cooperation in the
Asia Pacific region and assistance in the global fight against terrorism,
extremism, drug trafficking and transnational crimes are the main objectives of
this conference.
Source: UNB