Myanmar has verified the list of 8,000 Rohingyas given by Bangladesh, says Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali.
Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, he said that efforts were on to repatriate the first batch of Rohingyas and that a Myanmar delegation will come to Dhaka later this month for a joint working group meeting.
The foreign minister held the media call to brief on the prime minister’s upcoming Saudi Arabia visit.
“We had given a list of 8,000 Rohingyas, which the Myanmar authorities have cleared them (identifying as Rakhine residents) after verification,” Ali said before adding Bangladesh is now matching their villages of origin.
The foreign minister said he had a meeting last month with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Myanmar Union Minister U Kyaw Tint Swe and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“China told the meeting that they will build 1,000 homes. I said suggested those to build in the villages of origin of the Rohingyas, who we are trying to repatriate in the first batch,” said Ali.
He, however, could not say when the repatriation of the first batch of Rohingyas may take place.
More than 1.1 million Rohingyas now live in timid and squalid camps in the southeastern district of Cox’s Bazar after some 700,000 fled Rakhine following the Myanmar army’s crackdown in August last year.
Bangladesh signed a deal with Myanmar in late 2017 for ensuring their dignified return in two years.
During a meeting in February this year in Dhaka, Bangladesh formally handed over the first list of 8,032 people to Myanmar.