Top diplomats of Bangladesh, Myanmar discuss Rohingya repatriation

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Bangladesh urged Myanmar to honor its promise of repatriation of Rohingya refugees living in overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar.

“Myanmar can only set a precedent to keep its promise when the repatriation process starts,” Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told his Burmese counterpart Than Swe.

The two diplomats met on Thursday in the Indian capital New Delhi on the sidelines of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) meeting, according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh.

Hasan complained that there were "no signs" of Myanmar's repatriation plans as promised to Dhaka.

The majority of the 1.2 million Rohingya fled a brutal military crackdown in Rakhine, Myanmar, in 2017. Most of them are housed in overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar, but since late 2020 about 35,000 have been relocated to the island of Bhasan Char.

Than Swe responded "positively and reiterated his intention to begin repatriation as soon as possible," the readout from Dhaka said.

The two ministers last discussed Rohingya issues in January, on the sidelines of a summit by the Non-Aligned Movement in Uganda.​​​​​​​