Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday said lack of sincerity on the part of Myanmar is the main reason behind delaying the process of the Rohingya repatriation. “Many countries have been asked to take some Rohingyas to their countries and already a process of taking some Rohingyas has started. I am hopeful that the Rohingyas will go back to their countries,” he said. Momen came up with the information while talking to reporters after distributing some sewing machines and wheelchairs among some destitute people in Sylhet. Also read; Vulnerable Rohingyas: US to consider resettlement recommendations from UNHCR “Rohingya repatriation is not a work of one party alone and the global leaders have some responsibility on this but there is a lack of sincerity, which delayed the process,” he said.  

Bangladesh has sought Philippines’ and ASEAN’s pro-active support for the early repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar. Bangladesh also mentioned the pressure the additional 1.1 million people are creating on the local law and order and security situation of Bangladesh when newly appointed Ambassador of the Philippines to Bangladesh Alan L. Deniega met State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam on Tuesday. The State Minister highlighted the plights of the Rohingya people sheltered temporarily in Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds. State Minister Alam mentioned that Bangladesh, being strategically located at the cusp of the South and South East Asian region, is making all efforts for further enhancing and deepening her relationship with the ASEAN member states. READ: Bangladesh keen to increase engagement with ASEAN: PM He sought the support of the Philippines for Bangladesh’s bid for ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner status, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. The Philippines Ambassador assured the State Minister of their full support and suggested certain steps and processes for expediting the inclusion of Bangladesh in this regard. Welcoming the new envoy of the Philippines, State Minister Alam assured him of all possible support and cooperation for carrying out his mission in Bangladesh. He hoped Bangladesh-Philippines bilateral relations would attain newer heights during his tenure in Dhaka. Also read: US may influence ASEAN to persuade Myanmar to stop atrocities, take Rohingyas back: Momen Alam recalled with gratitude the recognition by the Philippines to the independent Bangladesh in February 1972. He hoped that the warm bilateral relations will gain further momentum on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of diplomatic ties. During his discussion, Alam pointed to the pandemic-induced food insecurity, inflation and global supply chain disruptions as well as their impacts on some of the countries in the region and beyond, and stressed the importance of greater unity, collaborative efforts and synergies, particularly among the countries in the neighborhood and in the region, for overcoming these challenges and for protecting the lives and livelihood of the common people.      He observed that the Philippines have had remarkable expertise in the fields of human resource training, nursing and health-related service sectors, tourism and hospitality industries, agro-processing etc., which Bangladesh could share and utilize for adding further momentum to the current pace of economic development of the country. He also encouraged the Philippines’ investors to invest in Bangladesh, which has a burgeoning middle-class with an increasing purchasing capacity. The new Ambassador of the Philippines profusely admired the decisive and visionary leadership of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and described Bangladesh as a role model for social development. He expressed his keenness on mutual sharing of the experiences and expertise of the two countries for the benefit of the people of the two friendly countries. The Ambassador highly lauded the Disaster Management efficiency and capacity achieved by Bangladesh, which could be shared with many counties in the world, he said. He also congratulated the government and people of Bangladesh on their successful handling of the Covid pandemic and expressed satisfaction at the resumption of normal socio-economic life in both Bangladesh and the Philippines. During their talks, both the State Minister and the Ambassador exchanged felicitations on the historic occasion of the golden jubilee of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and the Philippines and agreed to have more high level visits to further consolidate the bilateral relations in the coming days.  

Bangladesh will reiterate its position seeking quick and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas as Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen left here for New York on Sunday morning to attend two important events at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). One of the events will be on Myanmar's current situation where Bangladesh will reiterate its call to the international community for quick and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas, said Dr Momen. "Our priority is repatriation. They (Rohingyas) must be repatriated. We want to make Rohingya repatriation a condition," he said, mentioning that much has been talked about democracy and the overall situation in Myanmar. Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar district and Bhasan Char. Also read: Rohingya repatriation looks uncertain: Hasina tells UNGA President No Rohingya was repatriated over the last four years amid the "absence of conducive environment" in Rakhine State and lack of confidence among the Rohingyas, officials said. Dr Momen said President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Volkan Bozkir invited him during his recent visit to Bangladesh. "There’ll be very good discussion. Many will join it," said the Foreign Minister.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki has said Japan will work towards early repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar.

BNP on Tuesday urged the government to take appropriate diplomatic steps to ensure the repatriation of Rohingyas to their motherland in Myanmar following the new political development in the neighbouring country.  

Myanmar has said they are committed to beginning the repatriation of Rohingyas as per the bilateral agreement signed with Bangladesh in 2017.

A virtual tripartite meeting among Bangladesh, Myanmar and China began on Tuesday afternoon to discuss ways to expedite the Rohingya repatriation process.

The United Kingdom appreciates Bangladesh for hosting Rohingyas but it along with other partners calls for "independent and comprehensive" technical and protection assessments to evaluate the safety and sustainability of the Bhasan Char facilities.

The United Kingdom wants the new government in Myanmar to take steps towards safe, voluntary and dignified return of the Rohingya to their place of origin in Rakhine State addressing the root causes of conflicts.

The United States has urged the Myanmar government to secure the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya and other refugees and internally displaced persons.