The World Bank (WB) is going to provide Bangladesh with a grant to meet the basic needs of around one million Rohingyas who fled their homeland Myanmar.

"The World Bank has agreed to provide Bangladesh with the full fund as grant money at its spring meeting held in April in the US," The Daily Star quoted Additional Secretary of the Economic Relations Division of the government Mahmuda Begum as saying.

However, neither the government nor the WB could confirm the amount.

A WB team will be visiting Bangladesh to discuss the issue with the government.

Bangladesh sought assistance from the WB, in October last year.

It said it would provide a mix of soft loans and grant, but Bangladesh refused to take loans.

Bangladesh Finance Minister AMA Muhith told the WB that the amount would be somewhere between $400 to $500 million and it would be a grant.

But the WB rejected the request saying, such a big amount could not be given as a grant.

As per the WB's conditions, the entire fund that the WB has finally agreed to provide Bangladesh with will have to be spent for the Rohingyas only.

The grant amount has not been confirmed — neither by the Bangladesh government, nor the World Bank

The World Bank (WB) is going to provide Bangladesh with a grant to meet the basic needs of around one million Rohingyas who fled their homeland Myanmar. "The World Bank has agreed to provide Bangladesh with the full fund as grant money at its spring meeting held in April in the US," The Daily Star quoted Additional Secretary of the Economic Relations Division of the government Mahmuda Begum as saying. However, neither the government nor the WB could confirm the amount. A WB team will be visiting Bangladesh to discuss the issue with the government. Bangladesh sought assistance from the WB, in October last year. It said it would provide a mix of soft loans and grant, but Bangladesh refused to take loans. Bangladesh Finance Minister AMA Muhith told the WB that the amount would be somewhere between $400 to $500 million and it would be a grant. But the WB rejected the request saying, such a big amount could not be given as a grant. As per the WB's conditions, the entire fund that the WB has finally agreed to provide Bangladesh with will have to be spent for the Rohingyas only.

World Bank to give Bangladesh grant to meet basic needs of 1 million Rohingya refugees

A Bangladesh official said Thursday that Myanmar had approved several hundred Rohingya from a list of thousands to return to their homeland, but provided no indication of when the long-delayed process would begin.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/who-appeals-for-contributions-for-health-services-to-rohingya-refugees-127032">WHO appeals for contributions for health services to Rohingya refugees</a>

Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in November to repatriate three-quarters of a million Rohingya but the deal has stalled indefinitely, with each side blaming the other for a lack of preparation.

Myanmar has so far approved fewer than 600 names from a list of more than 8,000 refugees provided by Bangladesh. The impoverished South Asian nation is housing nearly a million Rohingya in squalid camps along its southeastern border with Myanmar.

Mohammad Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's top official overseeing the repatriation deal, said Myanmar had given no details about when or if the controversial process was expected to begin.

"No date has been fixed yet," he told reporters. Asked when the process would begin, Kalam said he had "no idea".

The controversial agreement was supposed to start in January but missed the deadline and has dragged since.

It has attracted a firestorm of criticism from rights groups concerned that the persecuted Muslim minority will not be safe in Myanmar.

Under the agreement, refugees given the green light to return must do so voluntarily but many displaced in Bangladesh have rejected the prospect of returning to Myanmar's strife-torn Rakhine state.

Rohingya have been persecuted in Rakhine for generations and fear the cycle of violence that has driven them into Bangladesh could repeat.

Kalam said Bangladesh would send another list of around 10,000 refugees to Myanmar in coming weeks for verification. Officials from each country are due to meet in April to discuss the process, he added.

But there is scepticism in Bangladesh, and elsewhere, that repatriation will succeed.&nbsp

Myanmar has long marginalised the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and the key infrastructure required for the huge endeavour is yet to be constructed.

Bangladesh and Myanmar had agreed to complete the huge process by November.&nbsp

This month a top Bangladesh cabinet minister, AMA Muhith, said it was unlikely the refugees would ever return, accusing Myanmar of deliberately obstructing the process.

A Bangladesh official said Thursday that Myanmar had approved several hundred Rohingya from a list of thousands to return to their homeland, but provided no indication of when the long-delayed process would begin

A Bangladesh official said Thursday that Myanmar had approved several hundred Rohingya from a list of thousands to return to their homeland, but provided no indication of when the long-delayed process would begin. Also read: WHO appeals for contributions for health services to Rohingya refugees Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in November to repatriate three-quarters of a million Rohingya but the deal has stalled indefinitely, with each side blaming the other for a lack of preparation. Myanmar has so far approved fewer than 600 names from a list of more than 8,000 refugees provided by Bangladesh. The impoverished South Asian nation is housing nearly a million Rohingya in squalid camps along its southeastern border with Myanmar. Mohammad Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's top official overseeing the repatriation deal, said Myanmar had given no details about when or if the controversial process was expected to begin. "No date has been fixed yet," he told reporters. Asked when the process would begin, Kalam said he had "no idea". The controversial agreement was supposed to start in January but missed the deadline and has dragged since. It has attracted a firestorm of criticism from rights groups concerned that the persecuted Muslim minority will not be safe in Myanmar. Under the agreement, refugees given the green light to return must do so voluntarily but many displaced in Bangladesh have rejected the prospect of returning to Myanmar's strife-torn Rakhine state. Rohingya have been persecuted in Rakhine for generations and fear the cycle of violence that has driven them into Bangladesh could repeat. Kalam said Bangladesh would send another list of around 10,000 refugees to Myanmar in coming weeks for verification. Officials from each country are due to meet in April to discuss the process, he added. But there is scepticism in Bangladesh, and elsewhere, that repatriation will succeed. Myanmar has long marginalised the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and the key infrastructure required for the huge endeavour is yet to be constructed. Bangladesh and Myanmar had agreed to complete the huge process by November. This month a top Bangladesh cabinet minister, AMA Muhith, said it was unlikely the refugees would ever return, accusing Myanmar of deliberately obstructing the process.

Myanmar clears some Rohingya for return but no date on horizon

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World Bank to give Bangladesh grant to meet basic needs of 1 million Rohingya refugees

Myanmar clears some Rohingya for return but no date on horizon