Dhaka Bureau: The Ambassador of Bangladesh and Permanent Representative of OIC to Saudi Arabia sought the cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states in the ongoing case against Myanmar in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for Rohingya genocide and crimes against humanity. Mohammad Javed Patwari BPM (Bar).
On Thursday (November 10) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the OIC Ministerial Ad Hoc Committee on Accountability for Human Rights Violations committed against the Rohingya sought this cooperation. The meeting was presided over by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of The Gambia, Dawda Jalo.
Ambassador Mohammad Javed Patwari said, within its limited capacity, Bangladesh has already given 500,000 dollars to the voluntary fund for handling the case at the ICJ. In addition, he is on the way to pay another two hundred thousand dollars recently. In addition, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina mentioned the care of the 1.2 million Rohingya population in Bangladesh as well as the voluntary relocation of a part of them to the new infrastructure built in Bhasanchar with about 350 million dollars from its own funds.
The Ambassador appreciated the voluntary contribution and commitment of several countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Malaysia, Nigeria, Kuwait, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and the Islamic Solidarity Fund to handle the case at the ICJ.
He said that despite receiving aid from many countries, the money received is much less than the required amount, so he called upon the member states to contribute generously to the Rohingya genocide case.
The Ambassador expressed gratitude to the Gambian delegation, OIC Member States and the OIC Secretariat for filing a case against Myanmar at the ICJ for the Rohingya genocide and crimes against humanity.
The ambassador said that the solution through the International Court of Justice is a long-term issue and we must maintain intensive activities towards it. It is a question of providing justice to a displaced population who are also deprived of their right to ethnic existence.
He said, we all need full solidarity, support and cooperation in this case filed by Gambia. The ambassador said, after signing three agreements in 2017 on Rohingya repatriation, we have not sent back a single refugee to Myanmar and have not been able to ensure Myanmar’s accountability for the genocide against the Rohingya.
He drew the attention of all those present about the socio-economic pressure created on the local population in the area due to the sheltering of 1.2 million Rohingyas in Bangladesh and the far-reaching local and regional negative effects of the prolonged repatriation of Rohingyas.
Ambassador Mohammad Javed Patwari said, Bangladesh seeks continuous support from the international community, including the OIC, for the safe and dignified repatriation of the Rohingyas to their home countries. It is our responsibility to create a favorable environment for the Rohingyas to return to their home country and to provide them with legal assistance to return to their motherland Myanmar with dignity. The Ambassador called on everyone to work together in fulfilling this important responsibility and fulfill their responsibilities for the betterment of humanity.
At the beginning of the meeting, Gambia’s Minister of Justice informed everyone about the current status of the case under trial at the International Court of Justice, its various aspects and future plans. He said, this case will be a milestone for the OIC and the world.
He expects this case to be settled by 2024. He sought the support and assistance of all the OIC member states in handling the case. In his speech, the OIC Secretary General mentioned that providing humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya people, working together to realize their rights is part of the OIC’s moral responsibility. He assured the OIC Secretariat of all-time support in this regard and requested the support and assistance of its member states.
Permanent representatives of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Cameroon, Palestine, Maldives and other countries spoke in the meeting.
