UN Resolution: Dhaka seeks global support

Bangladesh has asked the international community to extend its support for passing a special resolution at the UN against the "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingyas by the Myanmar government.

Diplomatic sources said Bangladesh has initiated fresh moves in this regard, including convening a special session of the UN Human Rights Council and passing the resolution by the United Nations Third Committee.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, who met the OIC secretary general in Jeddah yesterday, said a resolution on the Rohingya issue has already been placed before the Third Committee of UN (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural Issues) on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.

The UN General Assembly allocates to its Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Committee, commonly referred to as the “Third Committee”, agenda items relating to a range of social, humanitarian affairs and human rights issues that affect people all over the world.

The Bangladesh state minister sought support of the international community to pass the resolution, said a press release from the foreign ministry.

Earlier, a six-member Bangladesh delegation, led by Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, met the secretary general of OIC in Jeddah and discussed the current Rohingya crisis.

Shahriar Alam, who was a member of the delegation, briefed the secretary general and other high officials of the OIC secretariat on the latest position of Bangladesh on the Rohingya crisis.

The state minister appreciated the role of the international community for its stance on the Rohingya issue. He focused on the five-point solution proposed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina which was placed in the UNGA-2017.

The state minister said in the meeting that since August 25, some 620,000 forcefully displaced Myanmar people have already took shelter in Bangladesh as per IOM statistics.

In response, the OIC secretary general, Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen, mentioned that OIC contact group fact finding team will visit Cox's Bazar this week. He assured that OIC is always with Bangladesh on the issue of Rohingya.