Professor Afsan Chowdhury – veteran journalist accused China of backing Myanmar in cleansing of Rohingyas from Rakhine by the Myanmar security forces. However, when asked to comment on the accusation on his way out, he said: “China always plays a constructive role”. He avoided a direct answer when asked if China will send election observers to monitor the polls. Emphasizing on the importance of the Dhaka-Beijing relationship, speakers said that there is a consensus among the people of Bangladesh in regards to good relations with China and people are not happy with the Chinese support for Myanmar on the Rohingya crisis. The speakers also said that if the Rohingya crisis is not solved, initiatives like BCIM (Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar) Economic Corridor and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will be negatively affected.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 08, 2018 17:15 UTC