173 Bangladeshis returned, 288 will return to Myanmar

173 Bangladeshi citizens who were imprisoned in Rakhine, Myanmar and whose citizenship has been verified, returned to Bangladesh by sea from that country on Wednesday (April 24). They were able to return home with the special initiative of the Myanmar Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Myanmar ship Chin Duin has reached Cox’s Bazar coast.

Besides, 288 Myanmar BGP, army, immigration and other members who took refuge in Bangladesh due to the ongoing internal conflict in Myanmar will be sent back to that country on Thursday and if necessary on Friday. Their repatriation program has been organized at BIWTA Ghat in Cox’s Bazar. Myanmar soldiers and others will be sent back on the same ship that brought the Bangladeshi nationals.

A notification sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that the citizens of the two countries are being repatriated in the light of the decision taken in several inter-ministerial meetings led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the return of the citizens of Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Repatriation is offered to Myanmar through the Myanmar Embassy in Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon. On the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the help of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the verification process of those citizens in Bangladesh was completed quickly.

First, Myanmar authorities agreed to repatriate 144 verified Bangladeshi nationals who had completed prison terms or received amnesty. However, under the special action of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Myanmar authorities agreed to send back to Bangladesh all the Bangladeshis (whose citizenship has been verified) who have completed their imprisonment in Myanmar and are under trial. As a result, the Myanmar authorities released another 29 Bangladeshis.

Liaison of the Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon and representatives of the Bangladesh Consulate in Sittwe coordinated with the Myanmar authorities in this regard.

Local Member of Parliament of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Saimum Sarwar Kamal welcomed the Bangladeshi citizens who were present at Jet Ghat. The immigration, health check and other related activities of the Bangladeshi nationals coming on the Myanmar ships and the necessary activities for sending the Myanmar army and other members have been completed with the help of Ministry of Home Affairs, BGB, Coast Guard, District Administration, District Police, District Civil Surgeon and other authorities. The Bangladeshi nationals will be handed over to their relatives after completing the necessary procedures.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar representatives who arrived on the ship today will complete the identification and necessary documentation of the Myanmar BGP and other members who have taken refuge in Bangladesh at the BGB’s Naikshyongchari camp. Asylum seekers will be handed over to the BGP members on board the ship in the presence of representatives of the Myanmar Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted there.

It should be noted that, so far this year, arrangements have been made to provide asylum and return more than six hundred asylum seeker members of Myanmar’s BGP and military forces on humanitarian grounds. The BGB has provided humanitarian assistance to them and arrangements for their repatriation have been made through a bilateral initiative through the Ministry of External Affairs.