India wants quick repatriation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said India as a neighbour of Bangladesh and Myanmar feels the need for a quick repatriation process to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis.

He said, "A quick, safe and sustainable repatriation of the refugees in Bangladesh will benefit all parties."

The Indian minister has written a letter to the Bangladesh foreign minister where the issue was mentioned, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Indian minister highly appreciated Bangladesh for showing generosity and humanity by sheltering the Rohingya.

Jaishankar reiterated his government's promise to keep supporting the Bangladesh government and its people in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

He also noted that partnership between the two neighbouring countries will continue for the development of the countries.

Bangladesh is currently hosting more than 1.1 million Rohingya people. Some 750,000 members of the Muslim minority group in Myanmar's Rakhine state fled "ethnic cleansing" in their homeland in August 2017.

Bangladesh has repeatedly called on the international community to put pressure on neighbouring Myanmar to take back its citizens.

But despite several attempts to repatriate the refugees, none returned to their homeland citing Myanmar's failure to create conditions conducive to their "voluntary, safe and dignified" return.