Dhaka’s no to US request for sheltering Afghans

[PradoTLC]

"Don't put us in further trouble," said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen

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People try to get into Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 16, 2021 Photo: Reuters

Bangladesh has rejected a request from the United States to give temporary shelter to some people from Afghanistan, saying Bangladesh is already in a big problem by giving shelter to over 1.1 million Rohingyas.

"Yes, we've received a request from the US. We thanked them but rejected the request," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told UNB over phone.

In another program on Monday, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh will welcome the new government in Afghanistan if it is supported by its people.

"We believe in people's government. We believe in a government which is liked by its people. We believe in democratic government," he told reporters, adding that Bangladesh's door will surely remain open if the Taliban government becomes a government supported by its people.

The foreign minister said Bangladesh believes in friendship to all countries, and Bangladesh will extend support if any government seeks support from Bangladesh.

Asked from which level the request came from the US, the foreign minister said it came from diplomatic channels both from Washington and in Dhaka, reports UNB.

Momen said the US is a friendly country to Bangladesh and conveyed the message to them that Bangladesh is already facing many problems by giving shelter to the Rohingyas.

"Don't put us into further trouble," he said, mentioning what Bangladesh conveyed to the US side after receiving the request.
The US side first reached out to the Bangladesh ambassador in Washington with the request which was later conveyed to Dhaka.

Momen said Bangladesh wanted to know the name of the countries that the US requested for giving people from Afghanistan a temporary shelter and how many in numbers. "No specific reply was found."

"We believe in people's government. We believe in a government which is liked by its people. We believe in democratic government," he said, adding that Bangladesh's door will surely remain open if the Taliban government becomes a government supported by its people.

The foreign minister said Bangladesh believes in friendship to all countries and Bangladesh will extend support if any government seeks support from Bangladesh.

He said Afghanistan is a friendly country to Bangladesh and a member State of SAARC. "Bangladesh wants their (Afghanistan) development."

Responding to a question, Momen said there were some terrorists in Bangladesh who were trained in Afghanistan. "We've uprooted them and there's no scope to see their reemergence here."

According to their constitution, if the permanent president and the government take the oath, Bangladesh will take a bilateral decision, he added.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), in a statement, said Bangladesh is carefully observing the fast-evolving situation in Afghanistan, which, Bangladesh believes, may have an impact on the region and beyond.

"We urge all stakeholders in Afghanistan to maintain peace and calm ensuring safety and security of all including foreign nationals," said the Ministry in a statement.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has, meanwhile, said Dhaka will extend a helping hand if a regular government is in power in Afghanistan.

"We do not want to be influenced by any third country to decide on Afghanistan. We want peace in Afghanistan for regional prosperity. The people of Afghanistan have a lot of potential. They will use it to stand tall in the world," he said.

"Bangladesh will cooperate in that regard. We are ready for that, but we need a permanent government for that. In the days to come, when we realise that a permanent government has come into power, we will extend a helping hand," he added.

At a press conference on Monday, the state minister also said three Bangladeshis had been repatriated from Afghanistan. The process of bringing back the rest is underway. If any Bangladeshi is in trouble in Afghanistan, the government will take action if he contacts the embassy.

Asked whether he would ban Bangladeshis from travelling to Afghanistan, Shahriar Alam said, "Bangladesh does not have such a practice. Naturally, the people of Bangladesh will not go to a country where law and order is not good. There is nothing new to say. We will discourage you from going to Afghanistan even if we do not say so in writing."

why not india ?

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

Whenever I hear the word Dhaka

 

[imadul]

Why does not India, the greatest friend of Afghanistan shelter these scared afghans? Shows the real ugly pockmarked face of india.
Hidutva just want to use Afghans against Pakistan as objects. Now they want to leave Afghanistan and india no where to be seen for humanitarian help.

 

[Trango Towers]

india has CAA law, afghan refugees are Muslims so no entry

Racist laws....well these people sided with America and India...now useless nations like America and India are nowhere to be seen....one must pick friends carefully

 

[Species]

Have you met some of the Afghanis? I have.

Not saying all are like this, but quite a few I have met look down on Bangladeshis in general. Their stereotype for Bangladeshis is that we all chew on Pan Parag 24/7 and spit Pan juice all over the place. Based on ignorance of course. Idiots. Not a fan of the ignorant uneducated types who don't know how to control their temper and behavior.

However some are genuinely nice, especially some of the women. And of course educated folks. I have quite a few friends who are happily married to Afghan women for a while now.

Pakistan's experience in sheltering Afghan refugees is something to take a lesson from. Pakistan bent over backwards in sheltering Afghan people, but all you hear from overseas Afghans, is hate for Pakistan and Pakistanis.

The point is - we can accept immigrants on a points system like Canada. I vet that 100%. If you can contribute to Bangladesh' future talentwise, you are welcome to Bangladesh. Bring in more talent (which we need) and ship all the laborers overseas where they can do more good than at home, where they can cause more trouble for a box of Biryani and Korma.

I believe the best we can do is providing opportunities to the Afghan students studying in Bangladesh to permanently settle here.

 

[mb444]

I believe the best we can do is providing opportunities to the Afghan students studying in Bangladesh to permanently settle here.

Absolutely not... they need to return home...i am fundamentally against this.

Afgans must look to india who they choose to be friends with for assistance.

Our focus should be on the Rohingya and helping them.

 

[Pandora]

I guess US has to get used to the term Absolutely not for now on. When was the last time they had so many nos thrown on their faces. I mean balls these people have to dump their mess on others.

 

[Bengal71]

Have you met some of the Afghanis? I have.

Not saying all are like this, but quite a few I have met look down on Bangladeshis in general. Their stereotype for Bangladeshis is that we all chew on Pan Parag 24/7 and spit Pan juice all over the place. Based on ignorance of course. Idiots. Not a fan of the ignorant uneducated types who don't know how to control their temper and behavior.

However some are genuinely nice, especially some of the women. And of course educated folks. I have quite a few friends who are happily married to Afghan women for a while now.

Pakistan's experience in sheltering Afghan refugees is something to take a lesson from. Pakistan bent over backwards in sheltering Afghan people, but all you hear from overseas Afghans, is hate for Pakistan and Pakistanis.

The point is - we can accept immigrants on a points system like Canada. I vet that 100%. If you can contribute to Bangladesh' future talentwise, you are welcome to Bangladesh. Bring in more talent (which we need) and ship all the laborers overseas where they can do more good than at home, where they can cause more trouble for a box of Biryani and Korma.

I beg to differ. I advocate exporting immigrants on a points system to all countries of the world. They can bring valuable manpower to those countries.

 

[UKBengali]

The USA created these refugees. Plenty of space in North America.

Yes this is US trying to shift some of their burden to other countries like BD.

BD already holds 1.1 million Rohingyas and my point is that another 10,000 would not much difference.

Unlike the Rohingyas these refugees are either likely to go to the West or back to Afgahnistan within another year anyway. Highly unlikely that any would want to actually stay in BD and if they do it would not make any difference anyway to BD's 165 million population.

These people are in fear of their lives and this would be a purely humanitarian gesture that would cost BD very little.

I do not agree with people dismissing this as an "internal quarrel" as the Taliban have shown what they do to their enemies the last time they were in power. Although I do not think that the horrible things that people imagine will actually happen, there is no way of knowing this for sure.

 

[Bengal71]

True what you say but I am only taking about 10,000 at most and so nothing compared to Rohingya refugees.

This would cost BD little and would show BD as a responsible country willing to give shelter to those in need.

As a responsible country we should send our people overseas to help them with their ageing population problem.

 

[Paul2]

Russia and China should allow some temporary settlement of Afghan refugees.

Any Afghan if he is Najibullah, and is good at flag waving.

 

[bluesky]

Afghans are Indo-Europeans. They don't get along well with Russian and Chinese Muslims who are of the Turko Mongol variety.

Not all Afghans are Indo-European. There are many other tribes who belong to Turko Mongol varieties there. Anyways the issue will be if the localities that provided shelters for the Afghan refugees are themselves Muslims or not. It is easy for both sides to accept each other as brothers in that case.

As a responsible country we should send our people overseas to help them with their ageing population problem.

BRAC had been helping them in schooling Now, BRAC will probably close the schools.

Mullah Taliban do not like schools but they like Maktab and Madrassah as usual.

 

[PoondolotoPandalum]

BRAC has projects in Pakistan too, including BRAC schools.

My cousin worked on a few projects there. Let's just say, she said out of all projects they have around the world, she never encountered this much cultural inertia, or even outright militant opposition, to the idea of sending girls to schools.

Not as bad as Afghanistan obviously, but let's just say Pakistani villages, even some towns, are a lot more challenging for cultural reasons alone, than even the most backward villages in Bangladesh

There is something seriously fundamentally wrong with that part of the world.

 

[Bilal9]

I beg to differ. I advocate exporting immigrants on a points system to all countries of the world. They can bring valuable manpower to those countries.

I laughed because we are already doing this. No incentive needed.

But, exporting on point system need better training, which Indians are doing, but we are not.

 

[SpaceMan18]

I laughed because we are already doing this. No incentive needed.

But, exporting on point system need better training, which Indians are doing, but we are not.

Brain drain fucking sûcks

Kinda wish we could develop the dam nation already and give these future scientists , engineers ,game developers ,chemists ,astronauts etc a place where they can stay and actually do these things to improve Bangladesh and it’s image internationally.

But no , our politicians see the short term goal of taking Indian money and stealing Bangladesh’s money.