The Bangladeshi Government’s decision to not allow the Food Flotilla Mission to dock at Teknaf was mainly due to the condition of the port, and not to bar the flotilla from going to Teknaf as reported in the media. The Port of Teknaf is shallow, with a depth of only three metres, while the vessel needs a depth of at least eight metres to be able to sail unencumbered into the port.
After visiting all the alternate ports that the Bangladeshi Government recommended, the advance team from Kelab Putra 1 Malaysia (KP1M) has decided that the best option is Port of Chittagong. Even before the Food Flotilla Mission departed from Malaysia, KP1M was in close communication with the Bangladeshi authorities through the High Commission of Malaysia in Dhaka to find the best way to distribute the humanitarian aid sorely needed by the Rohingya refugees near Teknaf.
The Malaysian Government is optimistic that all other technical issues will soon be resolved given the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries. Malaysia looks forward to a successful conclusion of the Food Flotilla Mission to Bangladesh.
PUTRAJAYA 8 February 2017
On 2/8/17