CPS International Seminar on “Remembrance of Rohingya Genocide: Bangladeshi and International Perspectives”

Myanmar Military Junta is not only the crisis for the Rohingya but also the solution for them

An International Seminar on “Remembrance of Rohingya Genocide: Bangladeshi and International Perspectives” for commemorating the five years of Rohingya Genocide was held on 24 August 2022 at NSU. It was organized by the Center for Peace Studies (CPS) of the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG), North South University. In this seminar, the Keynote Speaker was Dr. Syed Hamid Albar, Former Foreign Minister, Malaysia and now Chairman, World Islamic Economic Foundation, and Adjunct Professor, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Mr. M. A. Mannan MP, Honorable Minister, Ministry of Planning, People's Republic of Bangladesh, was the Chief Guest. This is the first time CPS also presented a Resolution and a position paper on "the Rohingya in Bangladesh: five years later, our vision for the future" at this seminar.   

“ASEAN and the international community are still failing to give proper and adequate attention to the Rohingya tragedy. In reality, ASEAN has limited capacity to interfere in this crisis. Myanmar has rejected the offers to reconcile the situation from ASEAN and even China. The non-interference principle refrained ASEAN from making the Rohingya crisis as one of its priority agenda,” said Dr. Syed Hamid Albar, Former Foreign Minister of Malaysia. “The Chinese and Indians seem to throw their support behind Myanmar due to their heavy investments in the Rakhine state. I feel that the international community should support the establishment of an independent international investigation into possible violations of international law against the Rohingya.” he added. 

Since the Rohingya themselves desire to return to their own country, integrating them into Bangladesh is not a solution. It concerns their human rights and their ability to reside in Myanmar, which is where they were born. We have to endure with patience. Our government has been trying to negotiate with Myanmar to repatriate them with dignity, said Mr. M. A. Mannan MP, Honorable Minister, Ministry of Planning, Government of Bangladesh.    

It is not only Bangladesh but the whole world has some responsibility do resolve this Rohingya crisis, said Professor Atiqul Islam, Vice Chancellor, NSU who chaired the seminar. Additionally, he said that since Myanmar has the support of China, India, and Russia, sanctions from the West won't have any effect on them. So, Bangladesh should keep on diplomatic talks with Myanmar and send back the Rohingyas. 

A two-day long event on Remembrance of Five Years of Rohingya Genocide was held, at North South University on 23 & 24 August 2022. On the first day Refugee related Movie Screening took place at the campus. The NSU students joined the movie screening enthusiastically.  And on the 2nd day the International Seminar was held. 

The seminar started with observing one-minute silence in remembrance of the Rohingya who were the victims of the genocide and atrocity in 2017. Then an introductory speech was given by Professor Sk. Tawfique M. Haque, Director, CPS and SIPG, NSU. The CPS Resolution and the Position Paper on the Rohingya Crisis was presented by Dr. Ishrat Zakia Sultana, Assistant Professor, PSS and Member, CPS, NSU. The resolution is an appeal to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh for swift resolution of, and a durable and sustainable solution to, the crisis of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (FDMNs)- currently residing in camps inside Bangladesh, i.e. Rohingya.  

The seminar was Moderated by Ms. Parisa Shakur, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, NSU. And it ended through the vote of thanks by the CPS Coordinator- Dr. Abdul Wohab, Assistant Professor, PSS, NSU. Malaysian High Commissioner in Bangladesh, academics, researchers, diplomats, journalists, and students were present at the seminar.