AL-led alliance for int'l pressure on Naypyidaw

Awami League-led 14-party alliance yesterday called upon the international community to mount pressure on Myanmar to repatriate the Rohingyas residing in Bangladesh.

It also hoped that the world would respond to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's call to push Myanmar into resolving the Rohingya crisis.

The alliance came up with the call after a meeting at the party president's Dhanmondi office with Tariqat Federation Chairman Syed Nazibul Bashar Maijbhandari in the chair.

Awami League presidium member Mohammad Nasim briefed the media afterwards.

Hasina has been trying to resolve the Rohingya crisis through diplomatic channels, he said. “…I hope everyone will respond.”

Responding to a query, Nasim, also the health minister, said many countries as well as the United Nations have condemned the violence.

Blaming BNP for doing dirty politics over the Rohingya issue, Nasim said the party's statement criticising the government's diplomatic efforts is meaningless.

Briefing reporters, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon stressed the need for a national consensus so that the Rohingya crisis cannot harm national security and political stability of Bangladesh.

Jatiya Party Secretary General Shahidul Islam said the Rohingya issue is Myanmar's internal problem and the country will have to solve it with its own efforts.