Bangladesh Prime Minister Says Her Country Cannot Help Rohingya

July 28, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says her country cannot afford to accommodate more Rohingya Muslim refugees fleeing persecution from neighboring Myanmar. The statement follows reports that Bangladishi authorities have been rejecting many of the asylum seekers. Sheikh Hasina has defended the policy, saying Bangladesh is already overpopulated, and it is not her country's responsibility to help all of the Rohingya. There are already about 300,000 Rohingya living in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

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Refugee

A refugee is a person who is outside their country of origin or habitual residence because they have suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because they are a member of a persecuted 'social group' or because they are fleeing natur... Explore this topic

Rohingya

The Rohingya people are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group who speak a language very similar to Bengali and practise Islam. The origin of this group of people is disputed with some saying they are indigenous to the state of Rakhine in Burma and others contending that they are Muslim m... Explore this topic

Sheikh Hasina

Sheikh Hasina has been Prime Minister of Bangladesh since 2009; she also served in that position from 1996 to 2001. Hasina has led the Bangladesh Awami League since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father and first President of Ba... Explore this topic

Prime Minister of Bangladesh

The Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is the Head of the Government of Bangladesh. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Jatiya Sangsad Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to th... Explore this topic

Bangladesh-Burma relations

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Foreign relations of Burma

Historically strained, Burma's foreign relations, particularly with Western nations, have improved in recent months. Burma has generally maintained warmer relations with neighbouring states and is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Explore this topic

Politics of Bangladesh

Politics of Bangladesh takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Bangladesh is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested... Explore this topic

Myanmar

Burma, also known as Myanmar, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia bordered by China, Thailand, India, Laos and Bangladesh. One-third of Burma's total perimeter of 1,930 kilometres forms an uninterrupted coastline along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. Its population o... Explore this topic

Bangladesh

Bangladesh officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is located on the fertile Ganges-Brahmaputra delta and forms part of the ancient and historic region of Bengal. The name Bangladesh means "Country of Bengal" in the official Bengali langu... Explore this topic

Ethnic cleansing

Ethnic cleansing is the process or policy of eliminating unwanted ethnic or religious groups by deportation, forcible displacement, mass murder, or by threats of such acts, with the intent of creating a territory inhabited by people of a homogeneous or pure ethnicity, religion... Explore this topic

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Refugee

Rohingya

Sheikh Hasina