Staff correspondent:

The interim government did not discuss providing a “corridor” to Myanmar through Bangladesh with anyone and is not even open to discussing it, National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman said on Wednesday (May 21).

Speaking at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy, he said, “What we were talking to the United Nations [about] is channelling aid — food and medicine — to Rakhine due to the humanitarian crisis there.

“There are no talks on a corridor. We are not under any pressure — not from the United States, not from anyone. We are engaging with everyone — the US, China, all stakeholders — but we are acting in our own interest”.

He said Bangladesh is taking a burden of over 1.2 million Rohingyas and the country cannot accept any additional Rohingya, adding the focus remains on repatriation.

“It has to be sustainable repatriation. They have to go back. They have to stay there [in Myanmar],” Dr Rahman said.

He said there is no lack of coordination or understanding and he works very closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bangladesh Army.

Dr Rahman said the ‘corridor’ issue and debate first emerged from a neighbouring county.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and Deputy Press Secretary  Apurba Jahangir were present the media briefing

Highlighting the needs of the Rohingya refugees, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh Michael Miller recently said cross-border ‘assistance’ can only work when individuals are safe on both sides of the border and when governments agree.

“We have done cross-border assistance in other parts of the world, and it can work, but it can only work when individuals are safe on both sides of the border and when governments agree,” he said.

On the definition of a corridor versus the definition of a passage, Ambassador Miller, however, said he is unable to give an inside information but as a humanitarian partner for Bangladesh, they are quite happy to be pragmatic about how they can meet the needs of the refugees.

“If the refugees are here, we will meet their needs here, if they are on the other side of the border, because the situation might one day improve. We will also look at how we can channel assistance to them there, because it can be cross-border,” he mentioned.

The ambassador recognised that there is an enormous effort being made by Bangladesh hosting so many refugees from violence across the border.