Kaladan News

Dated: Tuesday, June 21, 2005

 

Refugee Camp Celebrates World Refugee Day

 

Teknaf, June 21: The 5th World Refugee Day was duly celebrated in the Burmese refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

 

This relates to the cause of over 20,000 officials and a larger number of undocumented Rohingyas now residing in Bangladeshi soil.

 

Chandra -- a representative from United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) -- delivered a speech focusing on the day and the status of refugees around the world. He also read out a statement of High Commissioner António Guterr while Shantush Barua of UNHCR translated in local language.

 

Arts competition, essay writing, musical and dance numbers by the refugee youth marked the day. A rally of about 200 refugee students started from the UNHCR office. Some officials from the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and refugee camp took part.

 

At 11 AM, at the Nayapara Refugee Camp Community Centre, the celebration was started which came to an end at about 2:00 pm.

 

Khan Nabinur Rahman (Waheed) -- Field Assistant of the UNHCR --organized the event on behalf of the UNHCR. He also made a made a video presentation to the participants. Saifur Rahman of RRRC and Shahjahan of WFP paid their tributes on the occasion and promised support.

 

UNHCR in Bangladesh has mapped out an elaborate program in Dhaka and Cox's Bazar that includes publication and distribution of promotional items and materials on refugee rights, press briefings, film show and reception, reported the Daily Star on June 19, 2005.

 

As an expression of solidarity with Africa, which hosts the most refugees, and which traditionally has shown them great generosity, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 55/76 on 4 December 2000. In this resolution, the General Assembly noted that 2001 marked the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and that the Organization of African Unity (OAU) had agreed to have International Refugee Day coincide with Africa Refugee Day on 20 June. The Assembly therefore decided that, from 2001, 20 June would be celebrated as World Refugee Day.

 

This year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) commemorated the World Refugee Day for the fifth time with the inspirational theme: "courage in the face of flight and exile" to pay tributes to the indomitable spirit of tens of millions of refugees and displaced who have overcome enormous loss and hardship to start.##

 


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