Myanmar Letters Dhaka to Take Back Rohingyas

The junta government of Myanmar has suddenly sent a letter to Dhaka to take back the Rohingyas. The country wants to start the discussed repatriation by taking back 700 Rohingyas.

The Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday (March 15th) that Myanmar's junta government had sent a letter expressing its interest in taking back the Rohingyas. A list has also been sent to Dhaka for a speedy return of 700 Rohingyas after screening.

The Rohingya repatriation process could begin at any moment. Dhaka- Naypyidaw have made all kinds of preparations for the repatriation process.

Myanmar wants to take back 700 people but Bangladesh wants to send 1,100 family members together.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam told reporters at the Foreign Ministry that they had been informed from Naypyidaw in Myanmar that they were ready to start the repatriation process in the first phase.

So far, Myanmar has completed the screening of 28,000 Rohingya. Bangladesh hopes to repatriate 7.5 lakh Rohingyas in phases. And this repatriation is supposed to be done voluntarily and by ensuring a safe environment. The UN will also be involved in this process.

He said the Rohingya repatriation process had been stalled for a long time due to elections, military coups and the Covid-19 pandemic in Myanmar. Discussions resumed on January 27 this year at a virtual meeting of the technical committees of the two countries.

The Bangladesh delegation team was led by Shah Rezwan Hayat, Commissioner for Refugee Relief and Repatriation. The Myanmar delegation team was led by ‪Ye Htun Oo, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Immigration and Population.

Following the tripartite meeting mediated by China in January 2021, Bangladesh offered all possible assistance in the light of the three bilateral agreements signed between the two countries to expedite the screening process of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Moreover, both sides expressed their goodwill in the technical level talks to find out the reasons for the delay in confirming the previous residency of Rohingyas in Rakhine. Highlighting the technical complexities and lack of information at the meeting, the Myanmar delegation assured assistance in completing the pending verification process.

When the military operation started in Rakhine, more than 7 lakh Rohingyas came to Bangladesh and took shelter from August 25, 2017. Despite international pressure, the Myanmar government made an agreement with Bangladesh to take back the Rohingyas, but the repatriation has not started even today.