Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today urged Qatar to mount pressure on Myanmar to start Rohingya repatriation and sought its proactive role in engaging the OIC countries to raise more funds for them.
"Qatar can use its good offices to put pressure on Myanmar for starting repatriation of Rohingya people without any further delay," he said while addressing a high-level roundtable titled "Social and Environmental Challenges Around Forcibly Displaced Populations-The Case of the Rohingya" on the second day of his Qatar tour, reports BSS.
The meeting was held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Doha this morning.
In his speech, Prof Yunus said that given the renewed international geopolitical and geostrategic scenario, Qatar can strongly express their solidarity to resolve the issue and be proactive to engage the OIC countries to raise more funds and impose pressure on the international community to advocate for the repatriation of the Rohingyas.
Recalling the role of Qatar in supporting Rohingyas, he said Qatar was among the first few countries to immediately provide assistance and support after the outbreak of Rohingyas crisis in 2017.
Qatar also took strong diplomatic positions on the Rohingya issue in different international forums, he said, adding that the Emir of Qatar made some bold statements in this regard.
On September 19, 2017, in the opening session of the 72nd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani called upon the Myanmar government and the international community to assume their legal and moral responsibility to take the necessary measures to stop the violence against the Rohingya minority.
The Emir of Qatar also called for providing them with protection, repatriating the displaced to their homeland, preventing sectarian or ethnic discrimination against them, and ensuring that they have their full legitimate rights as full-fledged citizens.
In his address, Prof Yunus said Qatar Charity provides a wide range of humanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees in the camps of Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char in Bangladesh to more than 234,313 refugees.
The assistance from Qatar included medical supplies, including emergency medical tests and essential medicines; essential school supplies, including bags, uniforms, toys, and benches; cooking gas cylinders to reduce the environmental damage; 326 shelters in Cox's Bazar, etc. Qatar Charity (QC) launched an agricultural 'Livelihood' project in Bhasan Char in June 2023, he said.
The Chief Adviser said Qatar had initiated providing LPG gas cylinders for the Rohingya families.
Qatar Charity has provided LPG gas cylinders that have benefitted 23,000 refugees, he said, adding that such initiatives work as a tool for the protection of the environmental degradation.
"Therefore, Qatar may provide more LPG facilities for the Rohingya community," he said.
Prof Yunus mentioned that on December 9, 2024, Bangladesh National Security Adviser (NSA) and High Representative for Rohingya and Priority Affairs Dr Khalilur Rahman had a meeting with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Qatar Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi in Doha.
During the meeting, he said, the High Representative called for Qatar's robust cooperation in ensuring the repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar and mentioned that resolving the Rohingya crisis requires the attention and concerted efforts of the global community.
In response, Dr Khulaifi assured broad cooperation from Qatar by reiterating Qatar's commitment to addressing the plight of Rohingyas, emphasising the nation's focus on their humanitarian needs and shared faith, Prof Yunus said.
Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, Energy Adviser Mohammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Principal Coordinator on SDG Affairs Lamiya Morshed and Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, among others, joined the meeting.
Qatar Foundation Chief Executive Officer Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, also the sister of Qatar Emir and the host of Earthna Summit, also joined the high-level roundtable.
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