India's foreign minister travels to Bangladesh amid Rohingya repatriation crisis

Published March 4, 2021
Foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will hold talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart on water sharing, trade and border issues. — AFP/File
Foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will hold talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart on water sharing, trade and border issues. — AFP/File

India’s foreign minister arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid efforts to resolve the fate of 81 Rohingya refugees who are on a boat adrift in international waters.

Foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will hold talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart on water sharing, trade and border issues, said two Indian officials in New Delhi.

“Of course, the Rohingya refugee issue will come up during the Indian minister’s day-long visit but the prime agenda will remain around Modi’s upcoming visit,” said a senior foreign ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Last month, Indian coastguards rescued 81 Rohingya Muslims whose boat was drifting in the Andaman Sea for over two weeks after they left Bangladesh, home to over a million Rohingya refugees from Buddhist-majority Myanmar. Eight people on the boat had already died of dehydration.

The fate of the refugees remains unclear as India, so far, has not allowed their entry into its territory and wants Bangladesh to take them back.

But Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen last week told Reuters that his government expects India, the closest country, or Myanmar, the Rohingyas’ country of origin, to accept the 81 survivors.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya were forced to flee their homeland after a crackdown by Myanmar’s military in 2017. Myanmar denies accusations of genocide and says the army was fighting a legitimate counter-insurgency campaign.

Aid agencies are demanding that governments stop passing the buck and pluck the 81 survivors immediately from the Andaman sea.

India has in recent weeks provided two million doses of Covid-19 vaccines shots to Bangladesh and could use that goodwill to press Dhaka to accept the refugees.

Modi is visiting Dhaka as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Bangladesh’s independence later this month.

Opinion

Editorial

Afghan outreach
11 Jan, 2025

Afghan outreach

AS much mistrust marks Pakistan’s relations with the Afghan Taliban, Kabul’s rulers are reaching out to regional...
Fragile recovery
11 Jan, 2025

Fragile recovery

STATE Bank Governor Jameel Ahmed appears to be quite optimistic over recent economic gains. That is not unusual;...
Destination Europe
11 Jan, 2025

Destination Europe

THE country’s aviation authorities can rest a little easy. After a four-year banishment from European skies,...
E-governance
Updated 10 Jan, 2025

E-governance

Wishing for a viable e-governance system seems like a pipe dream when stable internet connectivity is not guaranteed.
Khuzdar rampage
Updated 10 Jan, 2025

Khuzdar rampage

Authorities must explain how terrorists were able to commandeer the area for eight hours.
Beyond wheelchairs
10 Jan, 2025

Beyond wheelchairs

THE KP government’s Rs370m assistance programme for persons with disabilities is a positive step, not only in ...