As its Director General (DG), Amy Pope, made her a courtesy call today, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to raise additional finances from newer sources for help of the Rohingyas housed in Bangladesh.
“As the fund for the assistance of Rohingya (in Bangladesh) decreased, the IOM should find new partners to raise more funds to help the displaced Myanmar nationals,” PM’s Speech Writer M Nazrul Islam quoted her as telling Pope at their meeting in Ganabhaban.
Following the meeting at the PM’s official residence, Islam told the media that the premier had also urged the IOM to assist in the Rohingya population’s relocation to Bhashanchar, where a home complete with all the amenities, including jobs, healthcare, and education, has been established for one lakh people.
To far, some 30,000–35,000 Rohingyas have been resettled in the Bhashan district.
The premier was briefed on the security situation in the Rohingya camps by the IOM DG, who had visited them yesterday in Cox’s Bazar.
To guarantee the safety and security of the Rohingya population in Cox’s Bazar camps, Sheikh Hasina claimed that her administration had sent out the necessary number of security guards.
According to her, there are internal tensions among the many clans and subgroups of Rohingyas.
She continued, saying that because the Rohingya population has increased, the native population is now a minority in their area.
Pope also emphasized the importance of providing migrants with adequate linguistic and cultural training so they can advance their skills in line with the needs of their new nations.
In response, the prime minister stated that her government places the utmost emphasis on providing individuals with adequate training in both language and vocation in the event that they are sent to another nation.
She went on to say that in order to develop skilled labor, 112 Technical Training Centers (TTCs) have been constructed around the nation.
Sheikh Hasina also said migration is a natural process. “But, the migration ration will decline significantly if the poverty reduces,” she opined.
She also said her government has taken various programmes for the migrants that include giving loan without any guarantee.
The prime minister said both the host and source countries should protect the interest of the migrated people as they work for socio-economic advancement of both the countries.
She claimed that internal migration is also a result of climate change.
According to her, Bangladesh is among the most climate change vulnerable nations, and people are migrating inside its borders due to cyclones, floods, and river erosion.
In Khurushkul, Cox’s Bazar, the prime minister said that more than 4,000 climate refugees now have homes thanks to the government.
She added that her government has been constructing floating homes in flood-prone locations and climate-resistant homes in coastal belts, and it has been donating the free homes to the homeless.
Among those in attendance were Md Ruhul Amin, the secretary of the ministry of overseas employment and expatriates’ welfare, and M Tofazzel Hossain Miah, the principal secretary of the PM.
