Sohail Choudhury
Rohingya refugee crisis is the greatest humanitarian crisis in today’s world. There are over one million Rohingya refugees currently in Bangladesh, who fled Myanmar in 2017 due to the brutal genocide committed by the Myanmar military with the help of their Buddhist cohorts. When the Rohingyas started fleeing Myanmar, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly. She tried to draw the attention of the global leaders to this issue. At that time, the Reuters news agency asked the Bangladeshi Prime Minister as to how the country can handle such huge humanitarian crisis. In reply, a kind-hearted Sheikh Hasina said, if we shall have food, they too shall. And after almost two years, Bangladeshi Prime Minister has proved – she not only is one of the finest leaders of our time, but she also is the mother of humanity, for which, she deserves international appreciation and recognition.
Recently, prestigious Diplomat Magazine of the Netherlands has unveiled its latest edition with a cover featuring Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, titled “Sheikh Hasina: The Mother of Humanity”.
The prestigious Diplomat Magazine of the Netherlands has unveiled its latest edition with a cover story featuring Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina titled “Sheikh Hasina: The Mother of Humanity”.
The new edition was introduced to members of The Hague-based diplomatic corps, international media, think-tanks, business and political personalities, in a simple ceremony at Crowne Plaza Promenade.
According to a press release of the Bangladesh Embassy in the Netherlands, the ceremony was attended by ambassadors of China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Iran, Republic of Korea, Uzbekistan, State of Palestine, Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia, Angola, Tanzania, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Holy See, Brazil, Cuba, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, and Ecuador; Charge d’ Affaires of the Russian Federation, Georgia, Argentina, and Azerbaijan; and representatives from the embassies of the USA, Kenya, Poland and Panama.
Publisher of the Diplomat Magazine Dr Mayelinne De Lara and Bangladesh Ambassador to the Netherlands Sheikh Mohammed Belal along with the participating Ambassadors introduced the edition to the audience.
Ambassador Belal, while thanking the Diplomat Magazine for their cover story on Prime Minister’s unique face dedicated to humanity, highlighted to the audience how the world came to know Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the ‘Mother of Humanity’ after her bold decision to open Bangladesh-Myanmar borders for the fleeing persecuted Rohingya people from Myanmar’s Rakhine State and thereby saving thousands of lives.
The Ambassador also explained how Bangladesh government has been extending all sorts of humanitarian assistance including shelter, food, healthcare, water and sanitation, etc. to the persecuted Rohingya people solely on the humanitarian ground despite numerous challenges to the economy, ecology and security of Bangladesh.
He appealed to the international community to come forward to facilitate early repatriation of the displaced Myanmar residents to their homeland in Rakhine with safety, dignity and basic rights in a time-bound manner.
The ambassador also called upon the international community to eliminate the culture of impunity for the sake of a durable solution to the protracted Rohingya problem.
Please read below the Introductory Remarks by H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Netherlands at the Diplomat Magazine Event:
“Dr. Mayelinne De Lara, Publisher, Diplomat Magazine
Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen,
At the very outset, I would like to express our profound gratitude to the Diplomat Magazine for the cover story on “Sheikh Hasina: The Mother of Humanity” on the magazine’s September 2019 Issue.
You all might be aware that the world came to know Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the ‘Mother of Humanity’ after her bold decision to open Bangladesh-Myanmar borders for the fleeing persecuted Rohingya people from Myanmar’s Rakhine State. By doing so, Bangladesh Prime Minister demonstrated a unique example the world has ever seen.
The systematic persecution by the Myanmar security forces and local vigilantes on the Rohingya people in the Rakhine State of Myanmar has resulted fleeing of over a million Rohingya people to Bangladesh. The exodus of Rohingya people following the events of 25 August 2017 in the Rakhine State, which the world came to term as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” led to the fastest displacement crisis in the history of mankind.
The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in coordination with international agencies, has been extending all sorts of humanitarian assistance including shelter, food, healthcare, water and sanitation, etc. to the persecuted Rohingya people since their entry into Bangladesh solely on humanitarian ground.
It is true that the persecution of Rohingya people has generated multi-dimensional and multi-layered crisis for Bangladesh ranging from economic, security, environmental, social, and political. Despite numerous challenges to our economy, ecology and overall societal rubrics, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s decision to shelter the persecuted Rohingya people emanates from humanity alone.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Bangladesh has been making sincere efforts towards an early repatriation of the displaced Myanmar residents to their homeland in Rakhine with safety, dignity and basic rights in a time-bound manner for a durable solution of the problem.
However, Myanmar must demonstrate political-will through decisive actions with comprehensive participation of the international community to permanently resolve the crisis, particularly in line with the recommendations of the Kofi Annan-led “Advisory Commission on Rakhine State” and Bangladesh Prime Minister’s proposal of creating a non-military and civilian ‘safe zone’ in the conflict affected areas of Myanmar in order to ensure safety and security and usual living of all civilians irrespective of their ethnic or religious identity. Myanmar should also cooperate with international community to eliminate the culture of impunity for the sake of a durable solution to the protracted problem.
Ladies and gentlemen,
If you could imagine what would have happened to the persecuted Rohingya people had Bangladesh opted the policy of closed borders and push back of refugees, the world would have witnessed the death of thousands of persecuted Rohingya people. Unique to her courage and humanitarian compassion, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina decided to save the lives of thousands of forcibly displaced Rohingya people.
I thank you all.”
We want to express our profound gratitude to Dr Mayelinne De Lara, publisher of the Diplomat Magazine and her entire team for giving due coverage to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who truly deserves the support from the international media in resolving the existing Rohingya refugee crisis by mobilizing global outcry and pressure on the repressive Myanmar regime. We can always hope, many other international newspapers and news magazines will follow the footstep of The Diplomat.
Should Sheikh Hasina get the Nobel Peace Prize?
If anyone will assess the global scenario, s/he will definitely say – by showing extreme kindness to those over one million Rohingya refugees, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has proved herself as the mother of humanity. In that case, if the Nobel Peace Prize committee will not give their prestigious prize to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, they definitely will do injustice to the prize and its founder, Alfred Nobel.
We want to believe, the cover story in The Diplomat will be the path to the Nobel Peace Prize for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Sohail Choudhury is the Executive Editor of Blitz.
