Rohingya people fled from Rakhine state to Palongkhali near Ukhia, Bangladesh on October 16, 2017 (Photo: AFP/VNA) New Delhi (VNA) – Bangladesh has signed an agreement with the United Nations (UN) on the repatriation of Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar’s Rakhine state, said Bangladesh’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam on February 12.
The official made the statement during his visit to a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox Bazar in southeast Bangladesh. The UN’s involvement will help Bangladesh avoid accusations of sending Rohingya people to Myanmar against their will. Refugees will be asked to complete a repatriation form in the presence of UN officials, he added.
Alam also called for patience while saying the Bangladeshi government wants to be certain the situation in Myanmar is safe and secure for the refugees to return.
Last year, Myanmar and Bangladesh reached a deal to repatriate all refugees who had recently fled to Bangladesh. The plan was expected to be launched from January 2018, but it was suspended amid concern that refugees were being forced to return to Myanmar.
More than 600,000 Rohingyas from Rakhine have fled to Bangladesh after the Myanmar army launched security operations in the state in response to militants’ attacks on police outposts in Rakhine on August 25, 2017.-VNA
