Guterres Set to Visit Bangladesh, Engage with Yunus, Join Iftar with Rohingya Refugees
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Synopsis
UN Secretary-General Guterres is set to visit Bangladesh for Iftar with Rohingya refugees. He will also meet Muhammed Yunus in Dhaka. This trip highlights solidarity with distressed Muslim communities during Ramadan and addresses the ongoing Rohingya crisis.
Key Takeaways
- Guterres to visit Bangladesh for Iftar with Rohingya.
- Meeting with Muhammed Yunus in Dhaka.
- Focus on Ramadan solidarity with distressed communities.
- Over a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
- UN describes Rohingya as the most persecuted minority.
The United Nations announced on February 28 (NationPress) that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will travel to Bangladesh next month to join an Iftar with Rohingya refugees in Cox Bazar, as per his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. This visit is scheduled from March 13 to 16, where he will also meet with Muhammed Yunus, the head of the interim administration in Dhaka.
Guterres aims to visit “a Muslim community which is facing distress” as a gesture of “Ramadan solidarity,” selecting the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in Bangladesh this year, Dujarric elaborated.
He will also be with “Bangladeshi communities who have generously opened their doors to the refugees from Myanmar,” the spokesperson added.
The practice of visiting a Muslim community during Ramadan started when Guterres served as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
“The plight of the Rohingyas is something that is extremely close to his heart,” having “directly dealt with the Rohingya crisis” during his tenure in that position, he noted.
Bangladesh is currently sheltering over a million Rohingya who have escaped from Myanmar. Dujarric stated, “The largest refugee populations are frequently found in developing countries, particularly in impoverished nations that open their hearts and homes to those seeking refuge.”
“Each Ramadan, I embark on a solidarity visit and fast with a Muslim community worldwide. These missions highlight the authentic essence of Islam,” Guterres expressed in his message.
The mass exodus of Rohingyas to Bangladesh began in earnest in August 2017, following a large-scale military crackdown by Myanmar forces in response to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on law enforcement and civilians. This violence resulted in numerous civilian casualties, including nearly 100 Hindus, as reported by Amnesty International.
The United Nations has characterized the Rohingya as “the most persecuted minority in the world.”
