Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stated that allowing new structures in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar is inadvisable, citing environmental and ecological imbalances caused by extensive deforestation to accommodate the forcibly displaced people from Myanmar.
“It wouldn’t be wise to allow new structures in Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar as environmental and ecological imbalance has already emerged there due to massive deforestation,” she remarked during a meeting with Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa at her official residence, Ganabhaban, this evening.
Prime Minister’s Speech Writer Md Nazrul Islam briefed the media after the meeting. He conveyed the Prime Minister’s concerns about the congestion and unhealthy living conditions in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar. She suggested that relocating the Rohingyas to Bhashanchar would improve their living standards and health conditions.
The Prime Minister appealed to Yohei Sasakawa for support in repatriating the Rohingyas to Myanmar, as they have been stranded in Bangladesh for over six years. Additionally, she sought more assistance from the Nippon Foundation to relocate more Rohingyas to Bhashanchar temporarily.
The Nippon Foundation is currently providing various forms of assistance to the Rohingyas. Yohei Sasakawa praised the accommodation facilities in Bhashanchar and expressed the Foundation’s willingness to offer training to the Rohingyas to enhance their income generation and to provide education for Rohingya children. He also proposed new initiatives to the Prime Minister.
Sheikh Hasina highlighted that Bangladesh provided shelter to the Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds, noting that over 40,000 women were pregnant at the time. The government established field hospitals to offer food and medical services, with non-governmental organizations and international agencies joining later to support the efforts.
The Prime Minister pointed out the rapid population increase among the Rohingyas, attributing it to the conservative mindset of Rohingya women who are reluctant to adopt family planning. Yohei Sasakawa expressed the Nippon Foundation’s readiness to work on this issue.
The meeting was also attended by Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin and PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah.
