Rohingya repatriation: Myanmar and Bangladesh sat in a meeting this morning

Myanmar and Bangladesh sat in a meeting this morning to finalise the formation of crucial Joint Working Group that will oversee the repatriation of the Rohingya refugees.

The meeting started around 8:10am at the state guesthouse Meghna.

A nine-member Bangladesh delegation comprising of senior officials of different ministries started the meeting with a six-member Myanmar team.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Huq and Permanent Secretary at Myanmar foreign ministry Myint Thu are leading their respective teams.

Sources said a specific instrument on the repatriation would be drawn up after reaching an agreement in a speedy manner. Both the countries may agree on further instruments, as needed, for successful completion of the repatriation.

Dhaka will put emphasis on empowering the joint working group so that it can finalise the modalities and handle the repatriation without any delay, said Bangladesh foreign ministry officials.

According to the repatriation deal signed between Dhaka and Naypyitaw on November 23, Myanmar has agreed to take necessary measures to halt the outflow of its residents to Bangladesh, restore normalcy in northern Rakhine and encourage those who had left Myanmar to return voluntarily and safely to their own households and original places of residence or to a safe place of their choice.

Around 10 lakh Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh, including about 660,000 who arrived in the country after August 25, when the Myanmar military launched a brutal crackdown in Rakhine.

Source: thedailystar