Pact on Rohingya upholds Dhaka’s interests: minister

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali yesterday said the deal signed with Myanmar for Rohingya repatriation has kept Bangladesh’s interests intact.“The deal would not hamper the interest of Bangladesh … we have signed the arrangement as our prime objective was to send back the displaced Rohingya to their homes in Myanmar and we have done it,” he said at a press conference two days after he signed the deal with the neighbouring country at Myanmar capital.He said the repatriation would be completed in a “reasonable” timeframe and the process will begin within two months of signing of the arrangement.Ali inked the bilateral instrument with Myanmar’s Union Minister U Kyaw Tint Swe in Naypyidaw on Thursday following a meeting with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.The deal came amid mounting global pressure on Myanmar over the crisis while in a significant development the United States three days ago changed its stance on atrocities on the Rohingya, now preferring to call it ‘ethnic cleansing” in line with the UN stance and threatened penalties against Myanmar military officials.Ali said the deal was being negotiated by officials of the two countries for the past few months and later they reached a consensus to sign the arrangement on return of displaced persons from Myanmar’s Rakhine state.He said in line with the agreement Myanmar will take back its nationals who were displaced since October 9, 2016, after it completes the repatriation of the Rohingya who recently crossed into Bangladesh to escape the atrocities.Ali rejected negative speculations that the deal ignored Bangladesh in the agreement saying that the international community including the United Nations viewed it a positive development as well.“Rather, I can say that Bangladesh’s interest remained intact in the deal since our objective was to send the displaced persons back to their homeland,” he added. Ali, however, called the deal was a “primary step” for the repatriation process as the displaced Rohingyas would be repatriated through a “verification” process.He said according to the deal a joint working group will be formed within next three weeks and a “specific bilateral instrument (physical arrangement) for repatriation will be concluded in a speedy manner”. The minister said the Myanmar authorities will keep the Rohingyas in temporary camps near their abandoned homes after they returned to their country.He said responding to a Bangladesh’s proposal, India and China have agreed to erect makeshift camps for Rohingya in the Rakhine state.Ali said under the deal, Myanmar agreed to take all possible measures so that the returnees would not have to stay for a long time in their temporary refuge on their return and provide them the freedom of movement in the state inconformity with the existing laws and regulations.Simultaneously, Myanmar will issue the returnees an identity card for national verification immediately on their return, he said.“Myanmar will take necessary measures to halt the outflow of Myanmar residents to Bangladesh to restore normalcy in the northern Rakhine state and to encourage those who had left Myanmar to return voluntarily and safely to their own households and original places of residence,” he quoted from the deal.According to the deal, Myanmar will not prosecute and penalise returnees for illegal exit and return unless there are specific cases of their involvement in terrorist or criminal activities.At least 620,000 Rohingya from Myanmar’s Rakhine state fled to Bangladesh, seeking refuge from what Burma’s military has called “clearance operations”.Among others, Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque and senior foreign ministry officials were present at the briefing.Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali, left, and Myanmar Union Minister U Kyaw Tint Swe attending a bilateral agreement signing ceremony in Naypyidaw recently.