Cox’s Bazar: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged Myanmar to take back an estimated 3,00,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled across the border in recent weeks in response to a violent crackdown by the Burmese military.
She accused Myanmar of committing “atrocities” on Rohingya Muslims and asked the Buddhist-majority country to stop the violence against innocent people.
“They should stop the violence,” she told the BBC. “The Myanmar government should have handled this situation patiently and not allowed the army of the law enforcement agencies to attack the common people. What are the crimes of the women, children, the innocent people? They are not responsible,” she said.
“We want peace and a friendly relation with neighbouring countries... but we cannot allow and accept any kind of unjust and our protest will continue to this end,” Ms Hasina said after visiting a Rohingya refugee camp near the border town of Ukhiya in Cox’s Bazar district.
She said Myanmar will have to take back all Rohingya refugees who entered Bangladesh. “Myanmar has created the problem and they will have to solve it,” the Prime Minister said.
She assured the refugees that Bangladesh would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to them. “As long as they don’t return to their country we will remain beside them,” she said.
“Bangladesh is a country of 16 crore people and we have ensured their basic needs, we also have capability to provide all kinds of help including food and healthcare services,” she said.
