'India needs to prove that illegal immigrants in North Eastern states are Bangladeshis'

KOLKATA: Gowher Rizvi, the special advisor to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Friday said India needed to prove that the illegal immigrants in the north-eastern states were indeed Bangladeshis.

The controversy over illegal immigrants in the north-eastern states has emerged as a major issue and some of the states have demanded a National Register of Citizens (NRC) on the lines of Assam.

"At present, they (people whose names are not there in the NRC list) are residents of India and India should prove that they are residents of Bangladesh, not India," Rizvi, also a historian, said at an interactive session at the "India Today Conclave - East" here.

On the issue of the Rohingyas, he said, "We should distinguish between the Rohingyas and the illegal immigrants in north-east India. The two cases are entirely different."

The Rohingyas, Rizvi said, were persecuted and deliberately thrown out of Myanmar as a part of ethnic cleansing, adding, "It is not acceptable."

Close to one million Rohingyas are currently living in Bangladesh.

"The immediate burden has fallen on our shoulders. Our prime minister has shown a humanitarian gesture. We are not a wealthy country. But our prime minister has stated that we will share our meals with them," Rizvi said, adding that India was immensely helping Bangladesh by providing relief materials.

"In fact, India was the first country to bring relief to Chittagong. Secondly, India has promised to build homes for the Rohingyas in Myanmar. It essentially means that the Rohingyas would have homes when they go back," he said.

Asked about the chances of Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League in the coming general election in Bangladesh, Rizvi said, "We have established democracy and have thrown the military regime out. Elections are predictable, but even with such a fantastic economic and political record, we cannot comment that we will win."

On West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he said "We (Bangladesh) have good relations with her. She is universally called 'didi' and we do not have any problem with it."