Dhaka appears to be firm on brushing aside the apparent opposition of the international organisations to the arrangements reached between Bangladesh and Myanmar on Tuesday about the beginning of the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas, who took shelter in Cox’s Bazar to escape the atrocities of the Myanmar security forces, local Buddhist mobs and people belonging to other ethnic groups in Rakhine.

Bangladesh wants to begin and complete the repatriation as soon as possible although officials acknowledge that it would have been good if the Rohingyas could have been sent in a much better situation than it is now.

Following the finalisation of the physical arrangements of the repatriation in Naypyitaw on Tuesday, UN secretary general and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the global body’s refugee agency, have called for meeting international standards in the repatriation process ensuring safety, dignity and willingness of the displaced people.

“In relation to the agreement, usually, this is dealt with in trilateral agreements between the two States concerned and UNHCR.  UNHCR was not involved directly in the management of the agreement even if they were consulted,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told a press conference on Tuesday in New York.

“And we believe it would be very important to have UNHCR fully involved in the operation to guarantee that the operation abides by international standards,” he said.

“The worst would be to move these people from camps in Bangladesh to camps in Myanmar, keeping an artificial situation for a long time and not allowing for them to regain their normal lives.  We’ll be, of course, ready to do everything possible, to support a movement taking place, as I said, based on voluntariness, safety, dignity, and in respect to international standards,” he added.

The UNHCR also said almost the same thing on the same day in Geneva. Most of the international organisations and NGOs working on the ground are also of the same opinion. The United States and rights groups have also reservations about the deal

When contacted, the government officials concerned told The Independent that they are well aware of the opinions of the international community and acknowledged that the situation in Rakhine is not perfect for the return of the Rohingyas.

But, they said that for the time being it is impractical to expect the situation in Rakhine to be improve as much as  the international community is talking about.

The officials said that during the meeting of the joint working group (JWG) the Bangladesh side laid emphasis on the safety, dignity and livelihoods of the returnees. Now, they added that the international community should put more pressure on Myanmar to ensure that.

The officials were critical of the international community including the UN, saying that this Rohingya crisis has been going on for decades causing serious problems in Bangladesh and the international community has so far not become successful in forcing Myanmar to address the issue.

As far as Bangladesh is concerned, they said that the Rohingyas should return to their homes as soon as possible preferably with absolute safety and dignity. They also placed emphasis on keeping an eye on the settlements in Cox’s Bazar so that no one can discourage Rohingyas from returning.

The arrangement covers the involvement of the UNHCR in the repatriation process and livelihood of the Rogingyas after being repatriated, according to Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque, who led the Bangladesh side at the JWG meeting.

“Look, we also want the Rohingyas to return to their homes voluntarily, safely and in a dignified manner. And, we are working on that to make it happen as quickly as possible,” Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Abul Kalam, who attended the JWG meeting in Naypyitaw, told The Independent.

“The UNHCR will be involved in the repatriation process. As a matter of fact, the UN refugee agency has an important role to play,” he said. About the apparent opposition of the international community, RRRC Kalam, who is based in Cox’s Bazar, said, “The situation in Rakhine is not perfect. It is not possible for us to create a perfect situation for the returnees. It is, rather, the responsibility of the Myanmar government. And, we have discussed this issue in the meeting.”

About the beginning of the repatriation, he said that a technical team, led by him, is working to prepare the ground to start the repatriation as soon as possible.