Govt’s stance on Rohingyas eyewash: Fakhrul

The government obstructed BNP’s central relief team from going to Ukhia upazila in Cox’s Bazar to provide humanitarian assistance to Rohingyas, the party alleged today.

“We have received information that the Ukhia administration has barred our central relief team along with our 20 trucks relief materials from visiting the spot,” said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of BNP.

Fakhrul came up with the allegation while addressing a discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, (IEB) marking the 10th jail release day of BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman.

He also claimed that police also cordoned off its office in Cox’s Bazar. “Our top leaders were trapped inside the office.”

Fakhrul also alleged that this incident unveiled that the government is not actually with the persecuted Rohingya refugees. “Their (AL) claim that they have stood beside the Rohingyas is just eyewash. The government could not bar the BNP’s relief team if they (AL) actually stood beside Rohingyas.”

He demanded that the local administration immediately allow the BNP relief team to stand by the Rohingyas with relief materials.

A BNP delegation led by the party’s standing committee member Mirza Abbas went to Cox’s Bazar yesterday to provide humanitarian aid to the Rohingya refugees.

The team was scheduled to visit the Rohingya refugee camp in Ukhia and give medicine, food and other humanitarian aids to the refugees, who have fled the alleged ethnic cleansing in Rakhine state of Myanmar.