April 29, 2025
DHAKA – Dhaka agrees in principle with the UN proposal for a humanitarian corridor to Myanmar’s Rakhine State, but certain conditions must be met for its implementation, said Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain yesterday.
Talks over the corridor intensified after UN chief Antonio Guterres, during his 4-day Bangladesh visit last month, said that he discussed with authorities the option of sending humanitarian aid into Myanmar via Bangladesh.
Guterres said such a move will help Rohingya repatriation to Rakhine. However, he admitted it would require the “authorisation and the cooperation of the parties to the conflict”.
Yesterday, Touhid, while interacting with reporters at the foreign ministry, did not elaborate on the conditions, but a diplomatic source said a major one is to ensure a conducive environment for Rohingya repatriation.
Currently, around 1.2 million Rohingya are living in Bangladesh.
Touhid said while Dhaka cannot officially maintain contact with the Arakan Army, which controls over 80 percent of Rakhine, it “cannot remain detached even if we want to” due to security concerns along the Myanmar border.
Asked about the ongoing tensions between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan, Touhid said Dhaka seeks a negotiated settlement.
“Our position is very clear. We want peace in South Asia. We are aware of the longstanding rivalry between Pakistan and India. We would expect the two countries to resolve the problem through dialogue,” he said, responding to media queries at the foreign ministry.
“We have good relations with both India and Pakistan,” the adviser added.
India-Pakistan relations deteriorated sharply after a terrorist attack last week killed 26 people and injured 17 in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
India accused Pakistan of supporting “cross-border terrorism,” while Islamabad denied any involvement, calling the allegations “frivolous”.
The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Asked whether Bangladesh would initiate mediation between India and Pakistan, Touhid said some countries had already proposed mediation.
“I don’t think, at this moment, we should try that. If any party wants, then we can go for mediation. We don’t want to do anything on our own.
“In whatever ways, through mediation or bilateral discussion, we want the tension to diffuse and peace established,” he added.
ARRESTS OF ‘BANGLADESHIS’ IN INDIA
Asked about the reported arrests of suspected undocumented Bangladeshis in India, the adviser said the foreign ministry had not yet received any official communication from New Delhi.
On Saturday, international outlets reported that over a thousand “undocumented Bangladeshis” were arrested in Ahmedabad and Surat in India.
“Even if there is official communication, whether they are Bangladeshis or not is subject to verification. There are also Bangla-speaking people in India. If they are from Bangladesh and that is proven, we will bring them back,” Touhid said.
Although there is no travel advisory against visiting India, he advised Bangladeshis to avoid travelling there unless necessary.