UN warns against hasty returns of Rohingya

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said that peace and stability must be restored in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state before any Rohingyas can return from Bangladesh, under international standards on voluntary repatriation.

"It is critical that the returns are not rushed or premature," reports Reuters quoting UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards.

"People can't be moving back in into conditions in Rakhine state that simply aren't sustainable," said the UNHCR official.

Some 20,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar to Bangladesh in November, and at least 270 so far in December, bringing the total since violence erupted on August 25 to 646,000, according to UNHCR and Leonard Doyle of the International Organization of Migration (IOM).

7, 73,226 Rohingyas registered so far

BSS reports, a total of 7, 73,226 Rohingyas have undergone biometric registration till December 7, an official release said in Dhaka.

The registration work is being carried out in 12 makeshift camps in Ukhia and Teknaf by the Department of Immigration and Passports since September 11, the release added.

The Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) has been given the responsibility of supervising the project, Border Guard Bangladesh is giving assistance in the process, while Tiger IT Bangladesh Limited is providing technical assistance.

Of the total Rohingyas registered, 36,373 orphans have been identified. Of them 17,395 were boys and 18,978 were girls.