Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali briefed the media on Saturday on his recent trip to Myanmar and a Rohingya repatriation agreement signed with the Southeast Asian nation on Nov 23. 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, the agreement says. The Rohingya minority in Myanmar fled across the border to Bangladesh amid fear of persecution following insurgent attacks on border police on Oct 9, 2016 and Aug 25, 2017. In 1992, Bangladesh signed a repatriation agreement with the then military regime of Myanmar, following which 236,599 Rohingyas returned to their homeland. Aid agencies and rights bodies, however, have expressed concerns over return of Rohingyas to Myanmar without a guarantee for their safety.

Source: bd News24 November 25, 2017 08:03 UTC