News on Myanmar Election 2020 Webinar

Center for Peace Studies (CPS) under the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) at North South University organized a webinar titled "Myanmar Election 2020: Impacts on Rohingya Crisis" held on 10 November 2020. Distinguished panelists from Bangladesh, India, and Canada discussed Myanmar's recent parliamentary election and its impact on the Rohingya crisis.

The Webinar began with the welcome speech of Dr. Ishrat Zakia Sultana, Coordinator of CPS, SIPG. Professor Nehginpao Kipgen of O. P. Jindal Global University, India, said that India itself had failed to repatriate 40000 stranded Rohingya in Myanmar. Regarding Bangladeshi stranded Rohingya, he also said that India has always been a champion of Myanmar because of its economic growth, trade interests, and border security. Professor A. S. M. Ali Ashraf at the Department of International Relations at the University of Dhaka said it is obvious that Myanmar's election was a farce. In resolving the Rohingya crisis, China's role must be considered. Brigadier General (Rtd) Dr. Sakhawat Hussain, Senior Fellow of SIPG, shed light on the impact of Myanmar's election on the Rohingya crisis, he said the election commission could not work independently in Myanmar. Dr. M Jashim Uddin, Associate Professor of NSU said that Myanmar election would not be playing any role in resolving the Rohingya crisis or Rohingya repatriation. Dr. Kawser Ahmed, Executive Director of the Conflict and Resilience Research Institute Canada, said, it is hard to expect anything in the development of geo-politics centered around the Rohingya crisis because of indirect support to Myanmar from China and India.. Lead strategist of Canadian Rohingya Development Initiative and student of the University of Toronto, Jaivet Ealom, said like the Rohingya, other minority Muslim communities in Myanmar could not participate in the election. 

SIPG's Senior Fellow and former Ambassador, Shahidul Haque moderated the discussion. Professor Atiqul Islam, Vice-Chancellor of NSU and the Chair of the webinar concluded the discussion with his valuable concluding speech.