Follow up steps should start on Rohingya repatriation after Myanmar's assurance: Experts

Foreign relations experts today said follow up talks should start quickly on Rohingya repatriation as Myanmar has confirmed that out of over 1.30 million of the ethnic minority Muslimd, who took makeshift refuge in Bangladesh, 180,000 are eligible to return.

"It is important that talks were held on the repatriation but discussions should start immediately on the subsequent steps," former diplomat and foreign relation expert Ambassador Mahfuzur Rahman said today.

Rahman, however, said against the backdrop of the unrest at Myanmar's Rakhine state, the homeland of Rohingyas, Dhaka should try "all options" to settle the Rohingya crisis. "We should not lose our hope."

Dhaka University's international relations department Associate Professor Obaidul Haqque also saw it as a positive development that Myanmar initially identified 180,000 members of Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh as "eligible" for repatriation.

Their comments came a day after High Representative to the Chief Adviser on Rohingya Problems and Priority Issues Dr Khalililur Rahman made the announcement in presence of Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Than Swe on the repatriation issue after a meeting between them on the sidelines of BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus also acknowledged the development on X as he attended the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit in the Thai capital, also joined as well by Myanmar's head of government Min Aung Hlaing.

"Myanmar authorities have confirmed to Bangladesh that out of a list of 800,000 Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh, they have identified 180,000 Rohingyas eligible for return to Myanmar," the chief adviser wrote.

Earlier, emerging from his meeting with the Myanmar's Deputy Premier, Khalilur Rahman said 180,000 Rohingyas were "found to be residents of Myanmar" and a remaining 70,000 required further verification.  

 "So we agreed to work together to expedite the process. [But] Myanmar government has confirmed that these one hundred and 80,000 people are now fit to return to Myanmar," he said in front of TV cameras as Than Swe stood beside him and nodded.

Rahman said for the remaining numbers of "the original list we provided, the verification process will be expedited".

Myanmar's deputy premier at the same media appearance said "we are trying to find a way how we can work together after the verification (so that) it will be possible to bring back these people".

Bangladesh appeared to be world's largest refugee settlement as over 1.30 million Rohingyas have been crammed into makeshift camps in its southeastern part as they fled a brutal military crackdown in 2017 while about 70,000 of them fled their home afresh last year amid violence.

Bangladesh has sent multiple consignments of emergency aid to earthquake-hit Myanmar deploying army and air force crafts and according to reports, a second consignment of supplies and medicine were sent via three transport aircraft of the military air force on Tuesday morning in line with Professor Yunus's directive.

According to a political observer Bangladesh sent aid to quake-hit Myanmar despite the many challenges that the Myanmar government threw "our way for nearly a decade now" which was a positive gesture on Dhaka's side.

Attempts to begin repatriation in 2018 and 2019 failed as the refugees, fearing persecution, refused to go back.