Rohingya issue to be raised at UNSC session by Turkey

The Rohingya crisis issue is likely to be raised in the next session of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) by Turkey, according to a foreign ministry statement issued on Saturday night.

“Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has promised to Bangladesh that the country would place the issue at the upcoming session of the UNSC,” the statement said.

Cavusoglu made the commitment during a telephone conversation with his Bangladeshi counterpart AK Abdul Momen.

“Turkey would continue its all types of supports to Bangladesh for peaceful repatriation of Rohingya refugees to home country Myanmar”.

According to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and children, fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017, pushing the number of persecuted people in Bangladesh above 1.2 million.

Since Aug. 25, 2017, nearly 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar’s state forces, according to a report by the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA).

More than 34,000 Rohingya were also thrown into fires, while over 114,000 others were beaten, said the OIDA report entitled, Forced Migration of Rohingya: The Untold Experience.

As many as 18,000 Rohingya women and girls were raped by Myanmar’s army and police and over 115,000 Rohingya homes burned down while 113,000 others vandalized, it added.

A genocide lawsuit is on pending at the United Nations top court, International Court of Justice (ICJ), against Myanmar. On behalf of Muslim states’ biggest platform, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), African country Gambia filed the case on November 2019.

D-8 virtual session

Meanwhile, during the telephone conversation, Bangladesh also requested Turkey, current chairman of the developing group eight, D-8, to hold an online session among the commissioners at director general-level of the group prior to next year general conference of the group.

Bangladesh proposed to hold the D-8 online conference with the main agenda to find out possible joint efforts on mitigating of post coronavirus disasters among the member states.

During the conversation Bangladeshi minister also proposed Turkey to work together on food security after the lethal virus overcomes.

The foreign ministry statement said that Turkish Foreign Minister had agreed to the proposal.

The both ministers also expressed willingness to take joint efforts to elaborate bilateral business between the two friendly Muslim countries.

Referring to Bangladesh’s main exporting readymade garment industry as one of the vulnerable sectors Momen sought for Turkish cooperation to convince the international buyers not to cancel orders.

Turkish Foreign Minister also expressed willingness of his country to donate Bangladesh 100,000 surgical masks including heavily protected N-95 masks to stem the spread of coronavirus in the overcrowded south Asian country of above 165 million people. 

Bangladesh also sought for Turkish assistance so that no Bangladeshi expatriates lose their jobs. “In case of sending back any Bangladeshi worker from any country he/she should be provided compensation equal to his/her six months of wages.”

Kamruzzaman