Malaysian deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will arrive in the capital on Sunday on a day trip to Bangladesh to have firsthand information about the dire Rohingya situation. His visit will include a trip to Cox’s Bazar where more than five lakh Rohingyas, who fled to Bangladesh to escape the brutalities of the Myanmar security forces since August 25. This figure is in addition to already 4-4.5 lakh Rohingyas living in Bangladesh for decades. “Yes, the Malaysian deputy prime minister will pay a visit on Sunday. And, he will travel to Cox’s Bazar to see for himself the Rohingya situation,” a senior government official told The Independent yesterday. According to sources, having arrived

at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by a special aircraft, he will straight fly to Cox’s Bazar to visit the camps where hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas are taking shelter.

In the evening, the Malaysian deputy prime minister, the second highest political figure, will have a meeting with foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali at the state guest house, Padma.

While in Bangladesh, he is likely to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Malaysian dignitary is scheduled to leave Dhaka on the night of Sunday.

Malaysia, which also hosts a significant number of Rohingyas, has always been a vocal in favour of resolving the Rohingya crisis. It repeatedly asked ASEAN of which Myanmar is a member to act on this issue.

The Malaysian prime minister also voiced his support for Bangladesh on this issue.