Bangladesh extra vigilant about Myanmar violence: MoFA 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Thursday (21 December) said Bangladesh is carefully monitoring the current situation in Myanmar.

"In this situation, all concerned, including the Border Guard Bangladesh, are alert to prevent infiltration from Myanmar to Bangladesh," Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Seheli Sabrin said in a weekly briefing this afternoon.

Referring to the recent upsurge in violence as multiple ethnic armed organisations have begun their offensive against Myanmar Junta in October, she said it is expected that the repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar will begin in the near future at the appropriate time and circumstances.

Quoting the Myanmar Wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sabrin said Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen has highlighted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's extraordinary generosity in sheltering over one million Rohingyas in Bangladesh.

"Speaking at the 2nd Global Refugee Forum (GRF) session in Geneva, he called on the world community to be more generous in fulfilling their commitments to help more than 100  million refugees spread around the world," she said. 

The foreign ministry spokesperson said voluntary, safe and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas is currently underway under a tripartite initiative of Bangladesh-Myanmar-China.

"Myanmar authorities have already informed Rohingyas more than once about the facilities that the Rohingyas will get after their repatriation to Rakhine in order to start safe, dignified, and sustainable repatriation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals," said Sabrin, quoting the Myanmar Wing.

"And the work of verifying their place of origin in Rakhine for the first phase of repatriation is underway," she added.