Rohingya repatriation depends on term of reference: Home minister

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan today said the repatriation of Rohingya people, who took refuge in Bangladesh, would depend on term of reference (TR) as the Joint Working Group would be constituted by Bangladesh and Myanmar before November 30.

"The Joint Working Group would prepare the Term of Reference (TR) and Myanmar would take decision on returning back Rohingyas from Bangladesh, based on the TR," he told newsmen at his ministry office, one-day after his return home from Myanmar.

Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali is scheduled to visit Myanmar on November 30, Khan said, adding, "I met with Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, home minister and deputy home minister and they assured me of taking back Rohingyas from Bangladesh. And they are working on it"

He said the Myanmar government has started works of repatriation of Rohingya people in line with demands of Bangladesh and the international community as over 600,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh since August 25.

Khan told Suu Kyi that unless Rohingyas are repatriated, they could get involved in terrorist activities which would not be a good situation for either of the countries.

"They (Myanmar) agreed to take back the Rohingya people but they want to resolve the Rohingya crisis through a procedure, they need some time in this regard," the minister, however, said.