UNHCR chief summoned: Don't obstruct Rohingya repatriation

 

 

 

 

 

Johannes von der Klau

On Monday, the UN refugee agency abruptly stopped feeding 23 members of four Rohingya families interested in voluntary repatriation. Such actions of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) without prior intimation have left the government deeply dissatisfied.

 

Acting Foreign Secretary Rear Admiral (retd) Khurshed Alam summoned The Un Refugee Agency chief Johannes von der Klau to his office in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon. The government has warned the head of the UN refugee agency in Dhaka not to obstruct the repatriation of Rohingyas.

 

A high-level government source confirmed the summoning of the head of the UN refugee agency to the Foreign Ministry.

 

Under the pilot project, preparations are underway to send 1,176 Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Rakhine for repatriation. Among them are 23 members of four Rohingya families living in Bhasanchar. For two weeks, they have been kept in the interim camp of Kutupalong in Cox's Bazar from Bhasanchar. On Monday, the UNHCR stopped feeding them without prior notice.

 

Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mizanur Rahman told Prothom Alo on Tuesday evening that the UN refugee agency stopped providing food to the Rohingyas on Monday without informing them. The government later arranged food for them. There was no answer as to why they did it. However, from Tuesday, the UNHCR has started providing food to the members of the four Rohingya families.

 

According to diplomatic sources, UNEHCR chief Johannes von der Klaus called the acting foreign secretary in Dhaka and reminded him of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two sides for rohingya repatriation. Unhcr has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Bangladesh to help in the repatriation of Rohingyas. Necessary assistance should be provided to the Rohingyas in Bangladesh's territory until they are repatriated.

 

Diplomatic sources said the government had conveyed its dissatisfaction to the UNHCR chief during the hour-long talks. He was told that UNHCR will act as a facilitator in the rohingya repatriation process. That falls within the scope of their work. There's no chance of it being disrupted. Therefore, Bangladesh hopes that UNHCR does not obstruct the repatriation process. He has been warned not to repeat the sudden stoppage of food to the Rohingyas in the future.