Bangladesh has conveyed to the United Nations that a joint working group on Rohingya repatriation would soon be formed under the terms and conditions of the bilateral arrangement between Bangladesh and Myanmar which was signed on November 23, reports UNB. Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Masud Bin Momen conveyed it to the Security Council meeting on situation in Myanmar held in New York recently, said the Bangladesh Mission yesterday.

A team of Myanmar will be here on December 19 to take forward the process of forming a joint working group to start repatriation of Rohingyas living in Bangladesh, a foreign ministry official said.

Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque will hold a meeting with his Myanmar counterpart on Tuesday to finalize things on joint working group.

The joint working group was supposed to be in place within three weeks of signing the ‘Arrangement’ on return of Rohingyas.

A specific bilateral instrument (physical arrangement) for repatriation will be concluded in a speedy manner, officials said.

Ambassador Momen said Bangladesh continues to receive fresh arrivals of the Rohingya, with an average of 100-400 people on a daily basis.

He said it appears that the situation in northern Rakhine State is still volatile and expressed concern over recurrent reports of arson in Rohingya localities in northern and central Rakhine State.

The Ambassador said the repatriation process, as pledged by Myanmar would also begin within the shortest possible time.

He mentioned that the bilateral arrangement’s mandate is only limited to the possible voluntary repatriation of the Rohingya people, whereas the root causes and other related questions and issues would have to be addressed by Myanmar.

In this regard, he stressed on international community’s continued support, vigilance and monitoring on the situation in the Rakhine state.

Ambassador Masud also attached importance on continued humanitarian assistance to the forcibly displaced Rohingya population, neutral and independent investigation and trial of the atrocities, and creating a congenial environment in the Rakhine state so that the Rohingyas could return and live with other communities there without facing any discrimination.