BIMSTEC Excludes Rohingya Crisis as It Avoids Political Matters: Secretary-General

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Dhaka, July 22: BIMSTEC Secretary-General Indra Mani Pandey has said that the Rohingya crisis is not included in the organisation’s agenda because it is considered a political issue, while BIMSTEC focuses on technical and economic cooperation among its member states.

Pandey made the remarks while speaking to journalists during an interaction with members of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the BIMSTEC Secretariat in Gulshan, Dhaka, on Tuesday.

Responding to a question about whether BIMSTEC had taken any steps to help address the Rohingya crisis, he said the organisation’s agenda is determined collectively by its member states through consultation. He noted that political issues have not been part of BIMSTEC’s agenda and that the Rohingya matter falls into that category.

The Secretary-General said BIMSTEC was created to strengthen practical cooperation between South Asia and South-East Asia, particularly in technical and economic sectors. He added that the organisation continues to receive political backing from member countries while concentrating on delivering tangible cooperation and avoiding involvement in political matters.

On Monday, Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaed Islam, called on BIMSTEC to take effective measures to support the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. She made the appeal at a seminar held at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BISS) in Dhaka, attended by the BIMSTEC Secretary-General.

A day later, Pandey clarified the reasons behind the absence of the Rohingya issue from BIMSTEC’s activities.

Myanmar, one of BIMSTEC’s seven member countries, is the country of origin of the Rohingya population. Since 2017, more than 1.1 million Rohingya have taken refuge in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution and violence in Myanmar. They are currently living in refugee camps across Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has repeatedly sought international support to ensure the safe and sustainable return of the displaced Rohingya people to Myanmar.