Dhaka hopes Rohingya return will start by year end

Bangladesh is optimistic about starting Rohingya repatriation before the end of this year, according to media reports.

"We are hopeful we can start the repatriation by the end of the year. We are trying to do it for our own interest because they are becoming a burden for us," Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told reporters after a meeting of the National Task Force on Rohingyas at the ministry Sunday.

His comments come as the fifth anniversary of the Rohingya influx will be observed on August 25.

Despite repeated efforts in the last five years, no Rohingya could be repatriated from Bangladesh that is sheltering 1.1 million Rohingyas.

UN agencies including that of the UN Resident Coordinator, UN Refugee Agency, International Organization for Migration, UN Food Programme, Unicef, UN Population Fund, and officials form the ministries of foreign affairs, disaster management, home affairs were present.

The meeting is held just a day before UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, starts a four-day visit to Bangladesh today following a visit to Myanmar where she highlighted Myanmar's responsibility for conducive conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingyas.

At the meeting, Masud Bin Momen said, UN presented the quick impact projects that the UN agencies are implementing in Rakhine villages. Besides, China, Japan, and India are also working to improve conditions there.

He said Bangladesh government sought more information from the UN agencies on the projects they are implementing, including the videos so that those can be presented to the Rohingyas as a confidence building measure.