DHAKA: Bangladesh has sought a more effective role from ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to increase pressure on Myanmar to find a sustainable solution to the Rohingya repatriation issue.
The call came during a four-day summit which began in Thailand on Saturday.
It follows a visit by a high-powered delegation from Dhaka — led by senior parliamentarian Faruk Khan, chair of the parliamentary standing committee at the Foreign Ministry — to Thailand and Singapore, to convince ASEAN member countries to have a stronger voice on the topic.
Thailand is the current chair of ASEAN while Singapore is also an influential member of the regional bloc. Both countries enjoy good trade relations with Myanmar.
Diplomats and experts on international affairs expressed optimism about Dhaka’s latest move.
Munshi Faiz Ahmad, chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), said that as a regional platform, ASEAN had the scope to play a vital role in convincing Myanmar on the topic.
“Since the Rohingya issue is causing a security threat for this region, ASEAN can move forward for a sustainable solution of the Rohingya refugee crisis,” he told Arab News, adding that it was also important for international bodies to monitor the situation.
“Different civil authorities have a huge scope to get engaged in the repatriation process and for this ASEAN can be named as one of the best options since Myanmar is also an important member state of the regional platform,” he said.
During the last session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), China proposed a tripartite engagement — involving Bangladesh, Myanmar and China — to resolve the crisis.
However, Ahmad said that the only solution to resolving the crisis was to include the Rohingya in all discussions.
“The image of China as a superpower is very much involved with the sustainable solution of the Rohingya crisis since the country was involved in these diplomatic negotiations from the very beginning. To secure the Chinese investment in Rakhine, the country may push Myanmar in a stronger way in preparing a conducive environment for the Rohingya repatriation,” said Ahmad, who is also a former Bangladeshi ambassador to China.
Meanwhile, Professor Amena Mohsin of Dhaka University said that “the genocide which took place in Rakhine can’t be considered as an internal issue as it has become an international concern.”
Mohsin told Arab News: “At this stage, China should accelerate its diplomatic moves regarding the Rohingya issues since the country has blatantly supported Myanmar in the UN Security Council in recent months. But I am not sure how much China would play its role as there is an upcoming general election in Myanmar.”
On the ground, however, Bangladeshi authorities seem to be paying heed to Beijing’s advice, with foreign ministry officials holding talks with ambassadors from China and Myanmar in the last week of October.
“We have discussed all the aspects concerning the Rohingya repatriation and there was no immediate outcome or decision as the ambassadors were needed to consult the issues with their authorities. We will have the second meeting in next week,” Delwar Hossain, director general of the Southeast Asia desk of the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, told Arab News.
“It was a good confidence-building initiative among the parties,” Hossain said.
However, during an address to the media on Thursday, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said that the Rohingya issue was “Myanmar’s failure.”
“With two failed attempts of repatriation, it is now clear that Myanmar could not build trust among the Rohingya. That is Myanmar’s failure,” he said.
Momen said that the situation in Rakhine needed to be verified by independent observers to determine whether the Myanmar authorities have succeeded in creating a conducive environment for the refugees.
He suggested that Bangladesh wants ASEAN involved in the whole repatriation process, which includes sending its civilian observers to Rakhine and monitoring the wellbeing of the Rohingya after repatriation.
Bangladesh currently hosts more than 1,150,000 Rohingya at Cox’s Bazar refugee camp, most of whom fled from Rakhine following a brutal military crackdown by the Myanmar army in August 2017.
Dhaka urges ASEAN to step up on Rohingya issue
Dhaka urges ASEAN to step up on Rohingya issue
- Diplomats and experts on international affairs expressed optimism about Dhaka’s latest move
India’s wealthy embrace a new luxury symbol: water
- Tap water in India is not fit for human consumption
- Wealthy opt for premium water as wellness craze boosts industry
NEW DELHI: At an Indian gourmet food store, Avanti Mehta is organizing a blind tasting of drinks sourced from France, Italy and India. No, this isn’t wine, it’s water.
Participants use tiny shot glasses to check the minerality, carbonation and salinity in samples of Evian from the French Alps, Perrier from southern France, San Pellegrino from Italy and India’s Aava from the foothills of the Aravalli mountains.
“They will all taste different ... you should be choosing a water that can give you some sort of nutritional value,” said Mehta, who is 32 and calls herself India’s youngest water sommelier, a term usually associated with premium wine. Her family owns the Aava mineral water brand. Premium water is a $400 million business in the world’s most populous nation and is growing bigger as its wealthy see it as a new status symbol that fits in with a spreading wellness craze.
Premium Indian mineral water costs around $1 for a one-liter bottle, while imported brands are upwards of $3, or 15 times the price of the country’s lowest-priced basic bottled water.
Clean water is a privilege in the country of 1.4 billion people where researchers say 70 percent of the groundwater is contaminated. Tap water remains unfit to drink, and 16 people died in Indore city after consuming contaminated tap water in December.
Many in India see bottled water as a necessity and standard 20 US-cent bottles are available widely at convenience stores, restaurants and hotels. The market is worth nearly $5 billion annually and is set to grow 24 percent a year — among the fastest in the world.
Bottled water demand in United States or China is driven by convenience, making it a $30 billion-plus market in each country which will grow just 4-5 percent each year, Euromonitor says.
In India, the premium water segment is leading the surge in demand, accounting for 8 percent of the bottled water market last year compared to just 1 percent in 2021, Euromonitor said.
“Distrust of municipal water in some areas has escalated the demand for bottled water. Now, people understand how mineral water has more health benefits. It’s expensive, but the category will boom,” said Amulya Pandit, a senior consultant at Euromonitor specializing in the drinks market.
Among its consumers are New Delhi-based real estate developer B.S. Batra, who says his family uses only premium water at home to get more minerals and safeguard health.
“You feel different, more energetic during the day,” said Batra, 49, an avid badminton player.
“I consume mineral water even with whisky at home, and kids use it for their smoothies.”
Water lures Bollywood star, wealthy
The popular 20-cent plastic bottled water is mainly made by Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Indian market leader Bisleri. In addition, Indians who can afford it, install purifiers in their homes which clean the water but also remove most minerals.
Imported and local premium waters are luring wealthy consumers and businesses alike.
Bollywood star Bhumi Pednekar and her sister have launched Backbay — selling 750 ml cartons of mineral water for $2.2; Indian conglomerate Tata is expanding its premium water portfolio, and retailers and businesses are reporting higher sales.
Tata Consumer Products, also Starbucks’ partner in India, sells 20-cent bottled water, but premium water is its priority as it sees affluent, health-focused consumers willing to spend on the drink without worrying about the price, CEO Sunil D’Souza said in an interview.
“I don’t have to push water uphill...I see a long, long, long runway for the business,” he said.
Tata’s premium “Himalayan” mineral water factory — which a Reuters photographer visited — is located in the foothills of the Himalayan range in Himachal Pradesh state. Workers there largely keep a hands-free watch on machines filling plastic and glass bottles with water sourced from a natural underground aquifer.
Looking for springs
Most Indians prefer still water, and the sparkling variant remains niche. Tata said it plans to launch a sparkling Himalayan water, and is also scouting for natural springs for expanding its other offerings. At three Foodstories Indian gourmet stores, sales of premium waters tripled in 2025. Customer demand prompted the chain to import “light and creamy” Saratoga Spring Water from New York, which costs 799 rupees ($9) for a 355-milliliter (12-fluid-ounce) bottle, and stocks sold out within days, said co-founder Avni Biyani.
Indian mineral water brand Aava’s sales touched a record 805 million rupees ($9 million) last year, growing 40 percent a year since 2021. Tata said its basic and premium water portfolio will grow 30 percent a year, after growing tenfold to $65 million in six years.
Imported waters, which attract an over 30 percent tax, are pricier than Indian brands. Nestle’s Perrier and San Pellegrino, and Danone’s Evian retail for over 300 rupees, or $3.20, for a 750 ml bottle.
Nestle declined to comment, while Danone said the Indian bottled water market was growing at a “robust” pace but imported waters “tend to be niche and boutique.”
“When you open your tap, you’re not getting an Aava, Evian ... And that is what you’re essentially paying for,” said water sommelier Mehta.
At the water tasting session, some participants said they enjoyed the experience but many found the price hard to swallow.
“To be honest, it is kind of expensive,” said executive Hoshini Vallabhaneni, one of 14 people at the event. “For everyday use — it will burn a hole in the pocket.”
