Foreign Minister holds meeting with Suu Kyi

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali held meeting with Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi for holding final discuss on sending back the Rohingyas who took shelter in Bangladesh leaving their country following repression. The 45 minutes long meeting held at the Suu Kyi’s office at Naypyidaw started from 10 am on Thursday.

Officials of the two countries hoped that after the meeting agreement on ‘Arrangement on return of displaced persons from Rakhine state’ could be signed between Dhaka and Naypyidaw.

An official of the Foreign Ministry said, after signing the agreement the two sides will brief the news media in the Myanmar State Counselor Office Affairs Ministry at 2 pm local time.

Before holding the two foreign ministers meeting, the officials finalized the conditions of the agreement.

When was asked about conditions of the agreement a concerned official from Naypyiday said on Wednesday, both the sides have moved a little from their position. Bangladesh’s proposal was to include United Nations High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) and other development agencies in the repatriate process. At last Myanmar agreed to work with only UNHCR in need basis.

He also said, the repatriation activities will start within two months after signing the agreement. Bangladesh wanted a time limit for the ending the process. But Myanmar was not agreed to provide the time frame. The focus will be on to repatriate the Rohingyas who came after October last year. Later, steps will be taken to repatriate all the Rohingyas.

Meanwhile, after holding meeting with Myanmar State Counselor Office Minister Kyaw Tint Swe, Foreign Minister Mahmood Ali said, we had a good discussion on Wednesday and hope that an agreement will be signed on Thursday.

It is known that at first Myanmar said that repatriation process will take place under an agreement signed between the two countries in 1992. But Bangladesh said, the challenges of that period and for now are not he same. At that time the homes of Rohingyas were not set ablaze.

Bangladesh submitted a new draft of agreement earlier. Bangladesh handed over the draft of agreement to Myanmar State Counselor Office Minister Kyaw Tint Swe when he came to Bangladesh in October. In the new agreement there was inclusion of international partners including United Nations for for sending back Rohingyas.

The proposal from Myanmar was that Myanmar will take back the Rohingyas only who came after October last year. But Bangladesh said, all Rohingyas should be taken back.

At last Myanmar agreed to the new agreement after some adjustments in the proposed deal. Now UNHCR is included in the Rohingya repatriation process.

AH/MK