India can do a lot to help Bangladesh cope with the issue of Rohingya refugees: Bangladeshi PM 

Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina who is on an official tour to India, stated on Monday that both nations can work together to revitalize the transnational rivers and that India can greatly assist Bangladesh in dealing with the Rohingya refugee crisis.

She made the remarks informally while speaking with a gathering of reporters at a reception hosted by the Bangladesh High Commission for her.

"India is a vast country. It is quite versatile, when asked what role India can play in the Rohingya refugee crisis, Hasina responded. After leaving Rakhine, Myanmar, about 10 lakh Rohingya refugees are now residing in Bangladesh.

The Bangladeshi prime minister also discussed the potential for Bangladesh and India to collaborate to dredge cross-border Rivers in order to revitalize them. She said that river dredging will increase river flow.

The Rohingya crisis has raised several questions about India’s approach towards refugees, in general, and the Rohingya, in particular.

The Rohingya position in India has two aspects.

The first concerns the implications of India’s stand on the Rohingya refugees;

The second is how India can play a role in finding a solution to the crisis.
India allowed Rohingya refugees to enter the country and did not make it an issue in its domestic politics or its bilateral relations with Myanmar.

In 2015, the Rohingya crisis assumed a regional dimension when Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia all turned away overcrowded boats carrying Rohingyas attempting to land on their shores, leaving hundreds on the high seas.

Delhi took the side of the Myanmar government because it was concerned that raising the issue publicly might push Myanmar towards China as it was building relations with the then newly formed quasi-democratic government.