DHAKA, Sept 30, 2020 (BSS) – British High Commissioner to
Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson today said the UK would make sure
so that Rohingya issues remain on the agenda in the UN Security
Council (UNSC).
“We’re working very closely with Bangladesh and international
partners (to resolve the Rohingya issue),” he told the ‘DCAB Talks’
organised virtually.
Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) organised
the event, where its President Angur Nahar Monty gave the welcome
speech.
The British envoy said safe, dignified and voluntary return of
Rohingyas to their place of origin in Rakhine State is must in
resolving the crisis.
The UK, he said, is actively supporting the mechanism that exists
to ensure accountability for the crimes committed against the
Rohingyas.
Commenting that the situation in Rakhine is not very encouraging,
he said pressure from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the
International Criminal Court (ICC) on Myanmar need to be continued.
Dickson also pointed out the citizenship issue of Rohingyas that
would increase confidence and trust level among forcibly displaced
people to return to their land of origin in Rakhine State of Myanmar.
Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar
district while two attempts to send back Rohingyas were failed due to
trust deficit among the Rohingyas about their safety and security
issues upon their return to Rakhine.
The British High Commissioner said that Bangladesh would get
priority in getting the potential COVID vaccine, developed by Oxford,
once it is produced and ready for use.
The envoy, however, said that there would be no chance of clinical
trial of the Oxford British vaccine in Bangladesh.
He said the UK is giving importance to equal access to vaccines
globally not nationally. “The distribution of vaccine will get
priority by need not priority by wealth,” he added.
The British High Commissioner said the UK remains beside Bangladesh
in addressing climate-related challenges and looking forward to work
in a partnership.
The London keen to deepen trade and investment relations between the
UK and Bangladesh while several British companies are showing interest
doing business here, he added.