Bangladesh opted for a confidential mode of submission to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the Rohingya refugees’ problem.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is keen to seek a bilateral solution to the issue.
As per agencies, Bangladesh responded to the request of the ICC to reach a sustainable solution to this ongoing crisis.
Being one of the state parties to the Rome Statute, Bangladesh is obliged to follow the court’s requests and suggestions.
The Myanmar government has been asked to address their nationality problem if they are looking for a permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis.
The Chamber wanted Bangladesh to submit written observations, either publicly or confidentially, on the three specific matters- the circumstances surrounding the Rohingyas in Bangladesh, the possibility of the Court’s exercise of territorial jurisdiction over the alleged deportation of members of the Rohingya people from Myanmar into Bangladesh, and any other matter in connection with the prosecutor’s request that would assist the Chamber.
Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said the government has provided all the required information to the ICC.
Recently, Bangladesh Ambassador to the Netherlands Sheikh Mohammed Belal came to Dhaka for consultations. He handed over a copy of the observations to the court.
ICC Registrar Peter Lewis received Bangladesh’s observations and the hearing on the matter will be held on June 20.
Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar, who are considered as illegal immigrants as opposed to citizens of the country.
Due to a surge in violence in western Myanmar last year, over 700,000 Rohingyas fled the country to escape the military’s action. Presently, they are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps.
