Dhaka wants to start Rohingya repatriation: Hasan Mahmud

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud today said they want to begin repatriation of the Rohingyas, noting that Myanmar's internal conflict which has always been there cannot be an excuse for delaying the Rohingya repatriation.

"We are always in engagement with Myanmar. We want to see the commencement of repatriation at least," he said, adding that he even requested his Myanmar counterpart during his recent meeting abroad regarding the matter.

Hasan said the Myanmar government needs to take a collective effort to begin the repatriation of the Rohingyas.

He, however, said it is true that the current situation in Arakan creates a barrier to repatriation to some extent, but conflict is always there in Myanmar.

Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.3 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char with a growing number of Rohingya populations every year.

"Look, we engage with the government. We are talking with the government of Myanmar. It is also right that Rohingya repatriation is delayed due to internal conflict there. But what we are talking about is that there has always been chaos in Myanmar," he told reporters in Cox's Bazar yesterday.

Sharing the history of the last 70-80 years, Hasan said Myanmar has never been free from unrest, but that cannot be an excuse to not take back the Rohingyas who have been expelled from Myanmar.

Referring to the visit of the members of the parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs to the Rohingya camp, the foreign minister said that various problems have arisen due to the presence of the Rohingyas for a long time.

"I have spoken to the Foreign Minister of Myanmar about the repatriation of the Rohingyas and we are also in regular discussions with other countries, so as to put pressure on Myanmar to take back their citizens with full rights," Hasan said.