Hasina, Merkel, Ardern showed strong leadership in world during crises: UN special adviser

bdnews24.com

Senior Correspondent,  bdnews24.com

Published: 24 Mar 2019

 UN Undersecretary and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng attends a conference on the mass killings perpetrated by Pakistani troops during the 1971 Liberation War organised by The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies on Sunday. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

UN special adviser on prevention of genocide Adama Dieng has said three women including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have showed “strong leadership” in the world during crises.

 

He said when the Rohingya crisis erupted “(Hasina) opened widely her arms to welcome Rohingyas and you all of Bangladesh opened your generous hospitality…that is very important”.

The other two women leaders she mentioned are German Chancellor Angela Merkel and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The special adviser spoke at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organised seminar on ‘1971 Genocide in Bangladesh’ in Dhaka on Sunday.

He, however, criticised the Myanmar government for not delivering on their promises by signing the agreement to take back their nationals from Bangladesh.

Dieng took a swipe at the international community for not preventing what he said genocide in the Rakhine State and called on them to put pressure on Myanmar to fulfil its commitment for the safe and dignified return of Rohingyas.

“The Myanmar government has signed an agreement with Bangladesh. But to my view, still they’re not fulfilling their commitment,” he said.

“It was preventable. We saw all the signs but we did not take action on time,” Dieng said, adding that his mandate is to focus on prevention.

The seminar was organised before the March 25 black night. Bangladesh nationally observes Mar 25 as Genocide Day commemorating those killed by the Pakistani occupation forces on that night in 1971.

The systematic genocide of the innocent and unarmed people of Bangladesh by the then Pakistani military regime left over three million dead, a quarter of a million women and young girls raped.

Bangladesh is also lobbying for international recognition of the day.

Dieng, however, said recognising genocide or looking into the legal issues are not his mandate as an UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide.

Link : https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2019/03/24/hasina-merkel-ardern-showed-strong-leadership-in-world-during-crises-un-special-adviser