Bangladesh pleased over arrangement with Myanmar for Rohingya repatriation: FM

DHAKA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) — Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, who Thursday signed a deal with Myanmar on repatriation of the Rohingyas, has expressed his satisfaction over the bilateral arrangement.
Upon his return from Myanmar, the foreign minister held a press briefing in Dhaka Saturday saying both sides agreed to seek the assistance of UN refugee agency UNHCR in the return process.
The Bangladeshi foreign minister said a joint Working Group will have to be formed within three weeks since the date of agreement signing to oversee the repatriation process.
Mahmood Ali and Myanmar Union Minister U Kyaw Tint Swe signed the instrument at the State Counsellor’s Office in Myanmar on Thursday.
According to the minister, Myanmar will take back now only its nationals who were displaced since Oct. 9, 2016, after it completes the repatriation of the Rohingyas who recently crossed the border.
Meanwhile, he said 622,000 Rohingyas have so far took shelter in Bangladesh after violence erupted in Myanmar on Aug. 25.
According to the agreement, both the governments would arrange for the voluntary return in “safety, security and dignity with options for recommencing livelihood” after they had been verified to be Myanmar residents.
In this connection, Ali told journalists Saturday that Myanmar will keep the Rohingyas in temporary camps near their abandoned homes after they returned to their country.  Enditem