DHAKA: The ages-old Rohynga repatriation has now become uncertain. Myanmar at the moment does not want to say anything though they were expected to take 2,415 Rohyngas at the first phase.

This has been confirmed by sources from Bangladesh foreign ministry.

After several meetings, finally the Myanmar authorities agreed to take back the Rohyngas in phases. According to the condition set by them, a joint working group was also formed.

But showing their internal political problem the neighboring country is now deliberately trying to avoid it.

It is learnt that the Rohynga issue was pending for long nine years. But on August 31 of 2014 the foreign ministries of Bangladesh and Myanmar in their 8th foreign officer consultation (FOC), it was decided that the repatriation will start within two months after forming a joint working group.

But Bangladesh foreign ministry failed to form the joint working group within the stipulated time.

Moreover, Myanmar’s internal political situation prompted the delay of whole process. However, the joint working group was formed but the group of two countries could not yet sit together.

A high official of the foreign ministry told the media that though the formation of joint working group process delayed but after formation, the Myanmar authorities did not agree to talk about Rohynga repatriation as they considered it as a suicidal attempt for them before their general election. So the whole process of repatriation of Rohynga Muslims has left in a limbo till 2016.

Sources concerned said that though democracy returned to the country but the new government does not want to take risk of sensitive Rohynga issue.

They have many other priorities as a result Rohynga issue has been left to cold storage. Moreover, there is no international pressure on them in this regard. So, the Rohyngas are not returning to their motherland as expected earlier.

However, state minister for foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam told banglanews that Bangladesh will be working bilaterally on this issue. He said that Myanmar is the second neighbor of Bangladesh’s regional cooperation endeavors. ‘So, the country is very important to us.’

‘A strategy paper on the Rohyngas, prepared in 2013, was endorsed by friendly countries. We are in constant touch with Myanmar and hope to solve the problem soon,’ he added.

In 2012, Myanmar gave a list to Bangladesh. According to the list, they were supposed to take back 2,415 Rohyngas of Kutupalong and Noapara camps in Cox’s Bazar district. They also issued no objection certificates for the 2,415 out of 30 thousand refugees.

From 1991 to 2005, as many as 2.30-lakh Rohyngas returned to Myanmar. After that, the repatriation process was stopped.

About two decades ago, due to ethnic and political conflict the Rohyngas were forced to enter Bangladesh.

On the other hand, Bangladesh government is going to prepare a data bank with the photos and information of the Rohyngas.

To find out the particulars of the illegal intruders who are living in Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Chittagong, Rangamati, Khagrachari and Patuakhali districts will be surveyed for the purpose.

According to the information of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Rohingya Refugee Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) in Bangladesh, there are 32,000 registered Rohynga Muslims at Kutupalong and Noapara camps in Cox’s Bazar. Out of them, 5 lakh more Rohyngas are living in different parts of the country.

BDST:  1601 HRS, DEC 26, 2015
Edited by Shahjahan/RS/RR