FOR the first time since 2005 Myanmar has agreed to take back its Rohingya nationals who are living in Bangladesh. The decision was taken at a Foreign Secretary-level meeting between Bangladesh and Myanmar on Sunday. The New Nation reported yesterday that a working group of both the countries would sit to develop a timeline for repatriation and Myanmar would start the process of taking back about two and a half thousands Rohingyas stranded in Cox’s Bazar within two months. It should be mentioned that thousands of Rohingyas, most of whom were Muslims, fled their homeland and took shelter in Bangladesh due to the sectarian clashes over the years in the Rakhine province of Myanmar. According to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, over two lakhs Rohingya refugees of whom 32 thousands were documented were living in Bangladesh. On the other hand some estimates suggest that their number would be more than five lakhs.
Since the very beginning Bangladesh has been pressing for their repatriation. But after taking back about two lakhs between 1991 and 2005 Myanmar suddenly halted the process and a stalemate was created. Myanmar even declined to recognize those living inside Bangladesh as its nationals. The bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar have deteriorated due to this attitude and decision of Myanmar. On the other hand Bangladesh has always requested the Myanmar Government to change its attitude and take back the Rohingya refugees stranded in the country. Bangladesh also appealed to the international community including the UNHCR to create pressures on Myanmar. Eventually, perhaps, the ice has started to melt and Myanmar has agreed to take back its Rohingya nationals.
We hope, the Foreign Secretary-level meeting’s decision would start a new beginning. We are particularly worried about the Rohingyas as they have been creating multifarious problems for Bangladesh. Though officially they are residing mainly in Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar districts, in fact they have spread all over the country. Many Rohingyas have even established matrimonial relationships with Bangladeshi men and women, their children are going to the country’s schools and colleges and many of them are doing jobs and businesses at various places including the capital Dhaka. Thousands of the Rohingyas have become the country’s voters and have also managed Bangladeshi passports. With these passports they are going abroad and managing jobs especially in the Muslim countries depriving lakhs of Bangladeshis. The probable repatriation would bring about an end to such a disturbing situation and will largely help to carry forward the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
In our opinion, the process of repatriation should be started immediately and should continue till the last Rohingya is repatriated from Bangladesh.
