Bangladesh has reiterated its call for sustained international pressure on Myanmar for safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingya refugees who took shelter in Bangladesh to flee persecution in their home country.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has urged Dhaka to halt plans for the repatriation of 2,260 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, warning that the returns would be in violation of international law putting their lives and freedom at serious risk.

Asian leaders yesterday gathered for a summit amid warnings that the post-World War Two international order is in jeopardy and trade tensions between Washington and Beijing could trigger a "domino effect" of protectionist measures by other countries.

Bangladesh and Myanmar are set to begin the long-awaited repatriation of Rohingyas tomorrow. In the first batch, 2,260 refugees are expected to go home.

The International Crisis Group has warned of serious security risks of “forced repatriation” of the Rohingya, just as Myanmar and Bangladesh prepare for the November 15 return of the refugees sheltered in Bangladesh.

The Amnesty International has stripped Aung San Suu Kyi of its highest honour, the latest of several honours taken away from her since last year's brutal military crackdown on the Rohingyas.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (Africa and Asia) Richard Albrighton says the repatriation of Rohingyas should be safe, dignified and voluntary.

Indonesia yesterday called off the search for passengers of a Lion Air plane, almost two weeks after the jetliner plunged into the Java Sea killing 189 people on board.

For Nurul Amin, a Rohingya Muslim living in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, the days since learning he and his family were among a group of people set to potentially be repatriated to Myanmar have been among the most frightening since they fled their home.

Thales Alenia Space which developed Bangladesh's first geostationary communications satellite, Bangabandhu-1, yesterday handed over its transmission and operation management to Bangladesh.

Imelda Marcos was found guilty of corruption yesterday and handed a lengthy prison term in a rare conviction for the former Philippines first lady accused with her late dictator husband of embezzling billions of dollars from state coffers.

Sri Lanka's main Tamil parties have turned down a call from President Maithripala Sirisena to support his newly appointed prime minister in a likely floor test in parliament this month, the parties said yesterday.

Dhaka has urged Beijing to encourage Myanmar to create a conducive environment for a speedy return of Rohingyas to their home in Rakhine.

A plan to start repatriating Rohingyas back to Myanmar is premature and the refugees are "terrified" about leaving Bangladesh where they sought refuge, dozens of aid agencies working in the region said yesterday.

Bangladesh's coast guard rescued 33 Rohingya and detained six alleged human traffickers from a fishing trawler headed for Malaysia in the Bay of Bengal, an official said Wednesday.

Denmark will contribute an additional Tk 65 crore (approximately DKK 50 million) to the Government of Bangladesh to support the Rohingya crisis and address the adverse implications of the crisis on the host communities in Cox's Bazar.

The customary cordiality of Southeast Asian summits may be missing when the region's leaders meet next week due to sharp differences over Myanmar, whose military is accused of genocide against the country's Rohingya Muslim minority.

The United Nations' human rights investigator on Myanmar urged Bangladesh on Tuesday to drop plans to start repatriating hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees to Rakhine state this month, warning they would face a "high risk of persecution".

Facebook Inc says a human rights report it commissioned on its presence in Myanmar showed it has not done enough to prevent its social network from being used to incite violence.

The government yesterday signed two agreements with World Bank worth $200 million for increasing forest coverage and providing education to Rohingya children, said a press release.