Ambassador Ziauddin meets Congressman Rohrabacher

UsaNewsOnline.com: Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Mohammad Ziauddin met Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) at the Capitol Hill on Wednesday July 22 and discussed issues of mutual interests including influx of Rohingya Muslims into the country’s southern region.

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher warmly welcomed Ambassador Ziauddin and wanted to know about Rohingya refugee influx and other major issues of vital interests.

The Ambassador briefed the Republican Congressman on the background of the Rohingya influx in the southern part of Bangladesh and its’ present features. Mentioning, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s bilateral visit to Myanmar in 2011, he said that Bangladesh is always proactive with Myanmar for repatriation of Rohingya refugees and stop further influx. But unfortunately the resolution of the problem is still awaited.

The Ambassador said that the systematic push-on the Rohingya Muslims also contributed to the illegal trespass through the Bay of Bengal.

Rohrabacher said that Bangladesh is temporarily taking care of the huge number of refugees, but due to statelessness Rohingya Muslims have to pay a long-term price which will adversely impact their new generation.

Rohrabacher served as a senior speechwriter and Special Assistant to President Reagan for seven years and is a forceful spokesman for human rights and democracy.

On political front, the Ambassador briefed the Congressman about the brutal killing of the country’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, indemnity to the killers, rehabilitation and rewarding of anti-liberation forces, creation of religion-based political parties, consecutive military rules and the recent arson, killings and violence orchestrated by the BNP and Jamaat-i-Islami alliance.

Rohrabacher thanked the Ambassador for the meeting and assured his all out support for Bangladesh. Political Counselor Nayem Uddin Ahmed of the Embassy accompanied the Ambassador.