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India, Bangladesh call for safe and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees

WION
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaWritten By: Sidhant SibalUpdated: Feb 08, 2019, 05:10 PM IST
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File photo: Rohingya refugee women. Photograph:(Reuters)

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India started 'Operation Insaniyat' to help Rohingya refugees in September 2017. In December 2018, India began the 4th tranche of relief assistance to Rohingya refugees camping in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar.

India has assured Bangladesh of its continued support with respect to the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. Both the countries have called for safe and sustainable repatriation of the refugees. 

Bangladesh's foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen is in Delhi on a 4-day visit and took part in the fifth meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission. The meeting was co-chaired by India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday. 

The joint press release noted, "External Affairs Minister expressed appreciation for the humanitarian gesture of Bangladesh in supporting a large number of displaced persons from the Rakhine region of Myanmar" and "assured the Foreign Minister of India’s continued support for safe, speedy and sustainable return of the displaced persons to Myanmar".

Bangladesh's foreign minister conveyed his country's gratitude for the humanitarian assistance provided by India in four tranches since September 2017 to help meet the requirements of the displaced persons from Myanmar.

This is the first high-level visit from PM Hasina's government after her electoral victory in December 2018.

The release added, the two ministers agreed on the need to "expedite, safe and sustainable repatriation" of the displaced people from the Rakhine state of Myanmar.

India has been calling on Myanmar to implement the Rohingya repatriation accord that it signed with Bangladesh. The agreement involves the return of the refugees to Myanmar.

India started 'Operation Insaniyat' to help Rohingya refugees in September 2017. In December 2018, India began the 4th tranche of relief assistance to Rohingya refugees camping in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. 

Bangladeshi foreign minister Momen had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday during which the Rohingya issue was also raised. PM Modi assured India's support to the neighbouring country.