The government and the UNHCR have been implementing a fresh programme to collect information on Rohingya refugees as per Myanmar's requirement for their repatriation.

Officials have collected details of about 12,781 Rohingyas of 2,802 families until August 2 under the programme.

The Directorate of Immigration and Passport had earlier completed biometric registration of 11,18,576 Myanmar nationals living in 30 refugee camps in Ukhia and Teknaf of Cox's Bazar.

About 7 lakh Rohingyas displaced from Myanmar have taken shelter in Bangladesh since August 25 last year.

Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Shamsuddoza said the government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) started the fresh information collection programme on June 24 with a joint verification form.

Nearly nine lakh Rohingyas are now living in Ukhia and Teknaf upazilas. The refugee settlements are divided into 30 camps.

The repatriation process, which was supposed to start long ago, has been delayed due to bureaucratic tangles created by Myanmar.

Construction of a repatriation centre at Kerontoli on the bank of the Naf river in Teknaf is complete. Bandarban district administration has allocated plots demanded by the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission for setting up another repatriation centre in Naikkhyangchhari upazila. 

In 1991-92, Rohingyas were repatriated through Kerontoli.