OIC must share responsibility for sustainable solution to Rohingya crisis: Momen

Bangladesh has said the OIC member states must share collective responsibility to ensure safe and dignified return of the most persecuted community– the Rohingyas to their homeland, Myanmar.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen made the call during the open-ended meeting of the OIC Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee on Accountability for Human Rights Violations against the Rohingyas, held on March 17 in Mauritanian capital Nouakchott on the margin of the 49th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers.

During the meeting, the Gambian foreign minister updated the status of the case filed by the Gambia against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice to hold Myanmar accountable for the Human Rights Violation against the Rohingyas.

The status on the voluntary contribution by the member states and the summary of the fund requirements to continue the case were presented, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.

Momen reiterated the importance of repatriation of the Rohingyas to avoid transnational socio-economic catastrophe, especially derailment of thousands of juveniles and youths with uncertain future.

While thanking the Gambia and the OIC and for the kind support for the legal action, he shaded light on the importance of ensuring the momentum of the case to provide justice to Rohingyas.

He also called for burden sharing from the member states by contributing voluntarily to the legal expenses of the case.

The meeting was attended among others by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Nigeria, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, Gambia.

The Foreign Minister also had bilateral meetings with his counterpart of Cameroon and Mauritania.

Both countries expressed their appreciation on the rapid and consistent economic progress of Bangladesh and hoped that scopes of bilateral cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, trade, education and collaboration in various sectors would take place.

He also had courtesy meeting with the United Nations Assistant Secretary General for Middle East, Asia and Pacific.

Momen led the Bangladesh delegation to the 49th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held in Nouakchott, Mauritania from 16-17 March 2023.