DHAKA, Oct 25, 2022 (BSS) - State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md 
Shahriar Alam urged more countries to join International Court of Justice (ICJ) case filed by the Gambia as international justice and accountability will expedite Rohingya repatriation. 

"We (Bangladesh), therefore, call upon more Commonwealth, OIC members and western countries to join the ICJ case filed by the Gambia, which will expedite the justice for Rohingyas and facilitate their early return," he said.

Alam was speaking at a high-level panel discussion on "5 years of the Rohingya Crisis: Renewed Pledges towards Justice and Sustainable Returns" organized by Bangladesh High Commission in London at the UK Parliament on Monday, said a press release received here today. 

He said a political transition in Myanmar would not automatically fix the Rohingya problem in the absence of justice and accountability.
 
"That is why this time around, accountability must be ensured, justice must be delivered, and impunity must not be allowed by the international community to ensure the return of the Rohingyas to their homeland Myanmar," he said.
 
The State Minister said that each year under the generous patronage of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh spends 1.22 billion US dollars for food, shelter, health, education and skill development of the Rohingyas, which is increasing while international assistance is declining. 

"After five long years of hosting Rohingyas, it is unjust and unfair that only Bangladesh will continue to carry this undue burden," he said.
 
The State Minister also commended the UK's diplomatic leadership at the UN Security Council as a penholder on Myanmar and hoped to see the UK explore all available Council tools to enforce accountability, justice and sustainable returns of the Rohingyas. 

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia and the United Nations at the UK FCDO, Lord Tariq Ahmad paid tribute to Bangabandhu for his lifelong struggle to establish peace and justice and highly lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for showing 'incredible generosity and humanity' to host and protecting over a million Rohingyas. 

Lord Ahmad reassured that the UK, as a long-standing friend and partner, would continue to support Bangladesh to find a durable solution to the persisting Rohingya crisis. 

Recalling Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's speech at the 75th UNGA, Bangladesh's High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem in her opening remarks said, the cost of the prolonged presence of Rohingya on Bangladesh's society, security, resources, economy, environment and ecology is huge, immeasurable and in some cases irreversible. 

Terming Rohingya repatriation as the only sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis, Tasneem said it is a must and needs to be expedited by the international community.

The envoy praised the UK's recent decision to join the Gambia versus Myanmar case at the ICJ and commended Canada and the Netherlands for their commitment to ensuring justice and redressing atrocities committed against the Rohingyas and securing their right of return to their homeland. 

UK's Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific Catherine West, Chair of UK All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Bangladesh and the Right of the Rohingya Rushanara Ali, Vice Chair of All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Bangladesh and Myanmar Tom Hunt, Solicitor General of the Gambia Hussein Thomasi, Maldivian High Commissioner to the UK Dr. Farah Faizal, Canadian High Commissioner to the UK Ralph Edward Goodale and Director, Centre for Genocide Studies, Dhaka University Prof Dr Imtiaz Ahmed also spoke, among others. 

Members of the UK's House of Lords and the British parliament, academics, professionals and eminent members from the British-Bangladeshi diaspora attended the event.