Dhaka: Bangladesh on Tuesday conveyed its concerns to Myanmar and pointed out that Rohingyas are not 'Bengalis' as they have their own ethnic identities accepted by the Myanmar authority until recently. Director General (Myanmar wing) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Md. Toufiq-ur-Rahman conveyed Dhaka's concerns to Ambassador Kyaw Soe Moe of Myanmar at the Ministry.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the concerns were specifically in response to a press statement issued by the Myanmar Foreign Ministry on August 15 regarding the Rohingya issue. The statement, Bangladesh alleged, was based on erroneous statistics, particularly concerning the number of displaced Rohingyas. The Director General highlighted that data registered under the United Nations system reflects the accurate numbers of Rohingya population, contrary to the figures presented by Myanmar.
The Director General also urged the Myanmar Ambassador to expedite the verification process of displaced Rohingyas, as per the agreed bilateral instruments. This includes accounting for children born in refugee camps and new arrivals who were forced to leave Rakhine after 2017. Bangladesh is actively registering these individuals, and it plans to share the updated information with Myanmar authorities in due course.
Ambassador Soe Moe assured that he would convey Bangladesh's concerns to his government and expressed Myanmar's commitment to hasten the verification process, aiming to commence the repatriation of verified Rohingyas. The Director General reiterated that the only sustainable solution to the crisis lies in the safe, dignified, and voluntary repatriation of the Rohingyas to Rakhine.
The United Council of Rohingya (UCR) has also categorically rejected and condemned the 'misleading' press statement issued by Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 15. The UCR described the statement as an attempt to rewrite history and evade international accountability. They emphasized that Rohingyas are not 'Bengalis' but an indigenous ethnic minority in Myanmar, with a documented history and culture in Rakhine.
Myanmar claimed that Bangladesh sent 828,824 names of internally displaced persons, and as of July 31, 426,545 names have been verified. However, the UCR dismissed these figures, stating that over 700,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh during the 2017 genocide, joining over 200,000 who had fled earlier. Myanmar's claims about the number of people still residing in Rakhine were also described as misleading by the UCR.
The international community, along with the United Nations, has consistently asserted that over one million Rohingyas are currently displaced. The Myanmar government disputes these verified statistics, instead blaming the ARSA group for the plight of Rohingyas, which the UCR claims is a misrepresentation of the reality.
Myanmar, which does not recognize the Rohingya as one of its 135 lawful ethnic minorities, plans to work with Bangladesh for the repatriation of verified former residents once the security situation in Rakhine stabilizes. However, ongoing conflicts in the region continue to exacerbate the crisis, prompting further displacement of refugees.