Khairul Alam: Myanmar has agreed to take back some Rohingya soon under a pilot project. In the first phase of repatriation, the country wants to take back 3,000 registered Rohingya.
The decision was taken at the director general level meeting of the foreign ministries of both countries in Myanmar’s capital Nepido on Monday (4 September).
A diplomat who was present at the meeting said that there was a good discussion with Myanmar. They want to start repatriation as soon as possible.
It has been decided that the repatriation process will begin with three thousand registered Rohingyas in the first phase. The diplomat said, it can be done as early as possible.
However, when exactly this repatriation will start, it cannot be said. They can take back 5,000 Rohingyas in the second phase and 7,000 Rohingyas in the next phase.
However, it is not right to say for sure that they will definitely take back this number of Rohingyas.
Mentioning that the morale of the Rohingyas should be raised before the repatriation starts, the diplomat said that those who will be repatriated, their morale should be raised first.
Then those among them who want to go voluntarily will be sent. We want sustainable repatriation. As if the Rohingyas continue to go to the next step after the first step.
A delegation from Myanmar is scheduled to come to Cox’s Bazar to work on boosting the morale of the Rohingya.
It is reported that a four-member delegation led by the Director General of the Myanmar Sub-Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh participated in the meeting in Nepido.