Want international support to press for Rohingyas' return: Hasina
Santiniketan, May 25: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday sought cooperation from the international community to mount pressure on the Myanmar government to take back close to 1.1 million Rohingya refugees sheltered in her country.
"I want everybody's cooperation, so that there is pressure on Myanmar government to take them back fast," Hasina said after inaugurating the Bangladesh Bhawan here in West Bengal's Birbhum district.
Hasina said her government decided to give shelter to the Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds as they were persecuted back home.
"Eleven lakh Rohingyas have taken shelter on Bangladeshi soil... We have given them shelter on humanitarian grounds. But we want them to return to their country soon," she said.
The Bangladesh Prime Minister recalled her sister Rehana's appeal to her to give shelter to the Rohingyas.
"My sister Rehana told me, when you provide meals to 16 crore people (of Bangladesh), can't you provide meal to seven lakh more?
"We can. If need be, we will share our food with them," Hasina said.
The Indian government has refused to give shelter to the fleeing Rohingya refugees, saying it was already facing a "serious problem of infiltration" because of its porous border.
However, on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained mum on the issue at the Visva-Bharati University convocation as also the inauguration of the Bangladesh Bhawan here.
Close to 1.1 million Rohingyas have been residing in the south-eastern part of Bangladesh, known as the Cox's Bazar region, after they fled Rakhine state of Myanmar to escape a military crackdown on their villages on the night of August 24-25, last year.
Myanmar authorities, who signed an agreement with Bangladesh last November to repatriate the refugees, have denied allegations of human rights abuses in the military offensive and justified it as a legitimate response to terror.
Myanmar does not recognise the Rohingyas as citizens, claiming they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, which has led to continued discrimination against the community, including restrictions on their freedom of movement.
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Ladakh leaders welcome Wangchuk's release, demand others' freedom
New Delhi (PTI): Leaders from Ladakh on Saturday welcomed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's release from Jodhpur jail and demanded the release of remaining detainees.
Wangchuk was released from prison on Saturday after the Union government revoked his detention with immediate effect.
Ladakh MP Mohamad Hanifa hailed his release and urged the government to accept their demands for statehood and protection under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
"We welcome the release of Sonam Wangchuk. But others also need to be released, and the government should also take back the cases filed against people who participated in the protests," Hanifa told PTI.
The Union Home Ministry, in its statement, commented on the law and order situation in the Union Territory.
"... prevailing atmosphere of bandhs and protests has been detrimental to the peace-loving character of the society and has adversely affected various sections of the community, including students, job aspirants, businesses, tour operators and tourists and overall economy," it said.
Hanifa, however, said protest is a Constitutional right, and urged the government to resolve the issue through dialogue.
"If our voice is not heard in any other way, then there is another way to protest. We have always protested peacefully from day one, and we believe in peaceful protests. This is to make our voice reach the government," he said.
"We have always said that we want a solution to these issues through dialogue," he said.
Kargil-based politician and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) member Sajjad Kargili, in a post on X, demanded the immediate release of Deldan Namgial and Smanla Dorjey, and appealed to the government to drop all charges against other detainees unconditionally.
"The revocation of NSA against Shri Sonam Wangchuk is a welcome move. However, our struggle of our legitimate rights continues," he said.
Wangchuk was detained on September 26, 2025, two days after protests over demands for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution rocked Leh.
More than 45 people, including 22 policemen, were injured in the protests.
