Special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Pramila Patten urged the UN body to visit Myanmar over reported large scale violence by the Army against Rohingyas.

&quot;Some witnesses reported women and girls being tied to either a rock or a tree before multiple soldiers raped them to death,&quot; Patten told the Security Council.

Patten said the 15-member Security Council should visit Myanmar to get a first-hand account of the Rohingya crisis sweeping Myanmar.

UN said recently over 620,000 Rohingyas have crossed over to Bangladesh after August 25th due to atrocities by the Myanmar Army.

Patten said that a Security Council resolution should demand&nbsp;an immediate end to violations against civilians in Rakhine state and outlining measures to hold the perpetrators accountable &quot;would send an important signal.&quot;

The Myanmar Army has repeatedly denied committing any atrocities against the Rohingyas.

A United Nations women&#39;s rights panel had earlier asked the Myanmar government for a report of the last months on rapes and sexual violence against Rohingya women and girls by the security forces in Rakhine state.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) also asked Myanmar authorities to provide details on women and girls killed in the violence since the army crackdown began in late August.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pramila Patten said the 15-member Security Council should visit Myanmar to get a first-hand account of the Rohingya crisis sweeping Myanmar

Special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Pramila Patten urged the UN body to visit Myanmar over reported large scale violence by the Army against Rohingyas. "Some witnesses reported women and girls being tied to either a rock or a tree before multiple soldiers raped them to death," Patten told the Security Council. Patten said the 15-member Security Council should visit Myanmar to get a first-hand account of the Rohingya crisis sweeping Myanmar. UN said recently over 620,000 Rohingyas have crossed over to Bangladesh after August 25th due to atrocities by the Myanmar Army. Patten said that a Security Council resolution should demand an immediate end to violations against civilians in Rakhine state and outlining measures to hold the perpetrators accountable "would send an important signal." The Myanmar Army has repeatedly denied committing any atrocities against the Rohingyas. A United Nations women's rights panel had earlier asked the Myanmar government for a report of the last months on rapes and sexual violence against Rohingya women and girls by the security forces in Rakhine state. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) also asked Myanmar authorities to provide details on women and girls killed in the violence since the army crackdown began in late August.

UN Security Council should visit Myanmar, says UN official

Bangladesh police said on Monday, they would deport five Indians caught betting at a weekend cricket match as authorities crack down on illegal bookmaking in the lucrative domestic league. The men were detained Saturday at Dhaka&#39;s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium during the one-day Bangladesh Premier League match, police said.&nbsp;

They were caught by cricket officials concerned about match-fixing and illegal gambling in the hugely popular league.&nbsp;&quot;We have handed them over to police as this is the most we could do. They will take further action&quot;, said cricket board spokesman Jalal Yunus.&nbsp;

Two of the accused were previously caught betting during Bangladesh&#39;s home series against England in October last year, he added.&nbsp;Authorities were &quot;in the process of deporting them to India&quot;, said local police head,&nbsp;Nazrul Islam.&nbsp;

Gambling is illegal in Bangladesh but the cricket league has been dogged by betting scandals and its first two editions were marred by a match-fixing controversy, involving various players and team owners.&nbsp;Last week nearly 80 spectators at two cricket grounds were thrown out on suspicion of betting. The alleged offenders -- including 10 Indians -- used mobile phones to place live bets before scores were broadcast on television and online.

A leading newspaper reported last week that betting on domestic cricket was rampant, with tea stalls, restaurants, and rickshaw garages doubling as venues to place bets.&nbsp;The cricket board searches stadiums to catch gamblers but that has not stamped out the practice.

Last year the country&#39;s communications regulator blocked a dozen gaming websites in a bid to curb betting on cricket.&nbsp;Nearly 50 foreign cricketers, including Sri Lanka&#39;s Lasith Malinga, the West Indies&#39; Chris Gayle, New Zealand&#39;s Brendon McCullum, and England&#39;s Jos Buttler, are competing in the seven-team BPL tournament this year.

With the lucrative Bangladesh Premier League going on, Bangladesh police has decided to deport five Indians on the grounds of illegal betting on cricket

Bangladesh police said on Monday, they would deport five Indians caught betting at a weekend cricket match as authorities crack down on illegal bookmaking in the lucrative domestic league. The men were detained Saturday at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium during the one-day Bangladesh Premier League match, police said. They were caught by cricket officials concerned about match-fixing and illegal gambling in the hugely popular league. "We have handed them over to police as this is the most we could do. They will take further action", said cricket board spokesman Jalal Yunus. Two of the accused were previously caught betting during Bangladesh's home series against England in October last year, he added. Authorities were "in the process of deporting them to India", said local police head, Nazrul Islam. Gambling is illegal in Bangladesh but the cricket league has been dogged by betting scandals and its first two editions were marred by a match-fixing controversy, involving various players and team owners. Last week nearly 80 spectators at two cricket grounds were thrown out on suspicion of betting. The alleged offenders -- including 10 Indians -- used mobile phones to place live bets before scores were broadcast on television and online. A leading newspaper reported last week that betting on domestic cricket was rampant, with tea stalls, restaurants, and rickshaw garages doubling as venues to place bets. The cricket board searches stadiums to catch gamblers but that has not stamped out the practice. Last year the country's communications regulator blocked a dozen gaming websites in a bid to curb betting on cricket. Nearly 50 foreign cricketers, including Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga, the West Indies' Chris Gayle, New Zealand's Brendon McCullum, and England's Jos Buttler, are competing in the seven-team BPL tournament this year.

Bangladesh to deport 5 Indians for betting on cricket

The United States on Tuesday unveiled federal terrorism charges against the Bangladeshi driver who detonated a bomb in a New York subway passageway, after allegedly being inspired by the Islamic State group and self-radicalising as early as 2014.

Akayed Ullah, 27, who migrated to the United States in 2011 and lived in Brooklyn, was hit with a five-count indictment, which includes providing material support to IS and use of weapons of mass destruction, according to the complaint.

He is expected to appear before a judge, most likely by video link from his hospital bed, either Tuesday or Wednesday.&nbsp;

Ullah wounded himself and three other people in the blast, which took place in the subway tunnels below the Port Authority bus terminal, not far from iconic Times Square, on Monday.

The explosion, which sowed panic and disrupted the morning commute during the busy Christmas tourism season, came six weeks after another immigrant, also reportedly inspired by the IS group, killed eight people on a bike path.

President Donald Trump has leapt on both attacks to reiterate calls for tighter US immigration, demanding an end to the visa programs that admitted Ullah and the Uzbek bike path attacker, although both appear to have only radicalised after emigrating.

&quot;We will end them fast. Congress must get involved immediately,&quot; Trump said Tuesday. &quot;These attacks underscore the dangers we face from around the globe.&quot;

Chilling notes

Ullah allegedly built the pipe bomb in his Brooklyn apartment a week before the attack, packing the device with metal screws and Christmas tree lights, and allegedly admitted planning the would-be suicide bombing for several weeks.

He strapped the pipe bomb to his chest, selected the time and location to &quot;maximize human casualties,&quot; admitted to being inspired by IS and wanted to avenge US policies in the Middle East, Manhattan&#39;s acting US Attorney Joon Kim told reporters.

En route to carrying out the attempted attack, he allegedly posted on Facebook, &quot;Trump you failed to protect your nation,&quot; according to court documents.

The chilling handwritten note: &quot;O America die in your rage,&quot; was found in a passport in Ullah&#39;s name, along with metal pipes, wires and screws in his Brooklyn home, Kim told reporters.

Under radar&nbsp;

But his bomb failed to detonate as planned, leaving him with burns to his torso and hands, officials said. The three victims suffered minor complaints such as ringing in their ears and headaches.

Ullah began to radicalise in 2014, three years after moving to the United States, by watching IS propaganda online before starting to research how to make bombs a year ago, officials said.

But he operated under the radar, his name never appearing on any watch lists, and he was not previously known to law enforcement in either the United States or his Muslim-majority homeland, officials said.

In Bangladesh, counter-terrorism officers questioned his 25-year-old wife, whom he married in 2016 and visited in September after the birth of their son, officials said.

Police raided the family home in Dhaka, but neither Ullah&#39;s wife, Jannatul Ferdous Piya, nor her father are under any suspicion, officer Saiful Islam told AFP.

Mofazzal Hossain, a caretaker of the family apartment in Dhaka, described him as &quot;pious and a gentleman.&quot;

&quot;He used to pray in the local mosque five times a day. He would urge us to pray and do good work,&quot; Hossain told AFP.

Dhaka police were investigating whether he could have been radicalised in Bangladesh, which is waging its own war against extremism and where IS claimed an assault in July 2016 that killed 22 hostages, 18 of them foreigners.

The FBI on Tuesday urged New Yorkers to remain vigilant during the busy holiday season in a city that has considered itself a perennial target since the Al-Qaeda hijackings brought down the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

The New York Times reported that Ullah appears to have prayed regularly at the Masjid Nur Al Islam mosque, and from 2012 to 2015, held a license to drive for-hire vehicles.

His family issued a statement through the Council on American-Islamic Relations saying they were &quot;heartbroken&quot; by the attack and the allegations against Ullah.

The United States on Tuesday unveiled federal terrorism charges against the Bangladeshi driver who detonated a bomb in a New York subway passageway, after allegedly being inspired by the Islamic State group and self-radicalising as early as 2014

The United States on Tuesday unveiled federal terrorism charges against the Bangladeshi driver who detonated a bomb in a New York subway passageway, after allegedly being inspired by the Islamic State group and self-radicalising as early as 2014. Akayed Ullah, 27, who migrated to the United States in 2011 and lived in Brooklyn, was hit with a five-count indictment, which includes providing material support to IS and use of weapons of mass destruction, according to the complaint. He is expected to appear before a judge, most likely by video link from his hospital bed, either Tuesday or Wednesday. Ullah wounded himself and three other people in the blast, which took place in the subway tunnels below the Port Authority bus terminal, not far from iconic Times Square, on Monday. The explosion, which sowed panic and disrupted the morning commute during the busy Christmas tourism season, came six weeks after another immigrant, also reportedly inspired by the IS group, killed eight people on a bike path. President Donald Trump has leapt on both attacks to reiterate calls for tighter US immigration, demanding an end to the visa programs that admitted Ullah and the Uzbek bike path attacker, although both appear to have only radicalised after emigrating. "We will end them fast. Congress must get involved immediately," Trump said Tuesday. "These attacks underscore the dangers we face from around the globe." Chilling notes Ullah allegedly built the pipe bomb in his Brooklyn apartment a week before the attack, packing the device with metal screws and Christmas tree lights, and allegedly admitted planning the would-be suicide bombing for several weeks. He strapped the pipe bomb to his chest, selected the time and location to "maximize human casualties," admitted to being inspired by IS and wanted to avenge US policies in the Middle East, Manhattan's acting US Attorney Joon Kim told reporters. En route to carrying out the attempted attack, he allegedly posted on Facebook, "Trump you failed to protect your nation," according to court documents. The chilling handwritten note: "O America die in your rage," was found in a passport in Ullah's name, along with metal pipes, wires and screws in his Brooklyn home, Kim told reporters. Under radar But his bomb failed to detonate as planned, leaving him with burns to his torso and hands, officials said. The three victims suffered minor complaints such as ringing in their ears and headaches. Ullah began to radicalise in 2014, three years after moving to the United States, by watching IS propaganda online before starting to research how to make bombs a year ago, officials said. But he operated under the radar, his name never appearing on any watch lists, and he was not previously known to law enforcement in either the United States or his Muslim-majority homeland, officials said. In Bangladesh, counter-terrorism officers questioned his 25-year-old wife, whom he married in 2016 and visited in September after the birth of their son, officials said. Police raided the family home in Dhaka, but neither Ullah's wife, Jannatul Ferdous Piya, nor her father are under any suspicion, officer Saiful Islam told AFP. Mofazzal Hossain, a caretaker of the family apartment in Dhaka, described him as "pious and a gentleman." "He used to pray in the local mosque five times a day. He would urge us to pray and do good work," Hossain told AFP. Dhaka police were investigating whether he could have been radicalised in Bangladesh, which is waging its own war against extremism and where IS claimed an assault in July 2016 that killed 22 hostages, 18 of them foreigners. The FBI on Tuesday urged New Yorkers to remain vigilant during the busy holiday season in a city that has considered itself a perennial target since the Al-Qaeda hijackings brought down the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. The New York Times reported that Ullah appears to have prayed regularly at the Masjid Nur Al Islam mosque, and from 2012 to 2015, held a license to drive for-hire vehicles. His family issued a statement through the Council on American-Islamic Relations saying they were "heartbroken" by the attack and the allegations against Ullah.

US files terror charges against New York 'subway bomber'

Officials in Bangladesh are trying to track down the extended family and any known associates of Akayed Ullah, a Bangladeshi man US authorities say set off a homemade pipe bomb in a crowded New York City commuter hub on Monday.

&quot;Police are looking for his family, but so far they&#39;ve not been able to trace them,&quot; said Abul Khair Nadim, the Chair of Musapur Union council, a local government body in the Chittagong division in southern Bangladesh, where Ullah&#39;s family originally lived.

Bangladesh&#39;s police chief told Reuters late on Monday that 27-year-old Ullah had no criminal record in his home country, which he last visited in September.

Ullah lived with his mother, sister and two brothers in Brooklyn and was a green card holder, said Shameem Ahsan, consul general of Bangladesh in New York.

Ahmad Ullah, a relative of Ullah, who Reuters tracked down on Tuesday, said his cousin&#39;s father had moved to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka with his family many years ago.

He said Ullah&#39;s father had passed away about five years ago, and that Ullah had been through a normal public school education in Bangladesh before moving to the United States.

Ullah, who had a homemade bomb strapped to his body, set off an explosion in an underground pedestrian corridor between New York&#39;s Times Square and the Port Authority Bus Terminal at rush hour, injuring himself and three others in what New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called an attempted terrorist attack.

A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said investigators have found evidence that Ullah had watched Islamic State propaganda on the internet.

Bangladesh strongly condemned the attack in a statement saying, &quot;A terrorist is a terrorist irrespective of his or her ethnicity or religion, and must be brought to justice.&quot;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Officials in Bangladesh are trying to track down the extended family and any known associates of Akayed Ullah, a Bangladeshi man US authorities say set off a homemade pipe bomb in a crowded New York City commuter hub on Monday

Officials in Bangladesh are trying to track down the extended family and any known associates of Akayed Ullah, a Bangladeshi man US authorities say set off a homemade pipe bomb in a crowded New York City commuter hub on Monday. "Police are looking for his family, but so far they've not been able to trace them," said Abul Khair Nadim, the Chair of Musapur Union council, a local government body in the Chittagong division in southern Bangladesh, where Ullah's family originally lived. Bangladesh's police chief told Reuters late on Monday that 27-year-old Ullah had no criminal record in his home country, which he last visited in September. Ullah lived with his mother, sister and two brothers in Brooklyn and was a green card holder, said Shameem Ahsan, consul general of Bangladesh in New York. Ahmad Ullah, a relative of Ullah, who Reuters tracked down on Tuesday, said his cousin's father had moved to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka with his family many years ago. He said Ullah's father had passed away about five years ago, and that Ullah had been through a normal public school education in Bangladesh before moving to the United States. Ullah, who had a homemade bomb strapped to his body, set off an explosion in an underground pedestrian corridor between New York's Times Square and the Port Authority Bus Terminal at rush hour, injuring himself and three others in what New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called an attempted terrorist attack. A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said investigators have found evidence that Ullah had watched Islamic State propaganda on the internet. Bangladesh strongly condemned the attack in a statement saying, "A terrorist is a terrorist irrespective of his or her ethnicity or religion, and must be brought to justice."

Bangladesh police looking for family, associates of New York bombing suspect

A Bangladeshi man with a homemade bomb strapped to his body set off an explosion at a New York commuter hub during rush hour on Monday, wounding himself and three others in what New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called an attempted terrorist attack.

The suspect in the incident at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, a block from Times Square, was identified as Akayed Ullah, the New York Police Department commissioner said. The suspect had burns and lacerations while three other people, including a police officer, sustained minor injuries.

Ullah is from the Bangladeshi city of Chittagong and is a U.S. resident, said the city&#39;s police chief. He had no criminal record there and last visited Bangladesh on Sept. 8, the chief said.

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Ullah had a black cab/limousine driver&#39;s license from 2012 to 2015, after which it expired, the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission said.

The weapon was based on a pipe bomb and fixed to the suspect with zip ties and velcro, police said. New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo, speaking at a news conference near the site, described the device as &quot;amateur-level.&quot;

De Blasio told the same news conference that the incident, which happened at the start of the city&#39;s rush hour, was &quot;an attempted terrorist attack.&quot;

&quot;As New Yorkers our lives revolve around the subways. When we hear of an attack in the subways, it is incredibly unsettling,&quot; de Blasio said.

New York City was a target, said John Miller, deputy police commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism.

Miller cited the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that killed more than 2,750 people in New York and nearly 3,000 people total; and the World Trade Center bombing of February 26, 1993, which killed six people.

&quot;In the course of the post-9/11 world, as you are aware, there&#39;s also been approximately 26 plots that we can talk about that have been prevented through intelligence, investigation and intervention.&quot;

The incident was captured on security video, police said. Video posted on NYPost.com showed smoke and a man lying in the tunnel that connects sections of the Times Square subway station and the bus station. A photograph showed a man lying face-down, with tattered clothes and burns on his torso.

&quot;There was a stampede up the stairs to get out,&quot; said one commuter, Diego Fernandez. &quot;Everybody was scared and running and shouting.&rdquo;

Alicja Wlodkowski, a Pennsylvania resident in New York for the day, was sitting in a restaurant in the bus terminal.

&ldquo;Suddenly, I saw a group of people, like six people, running like nuts. A woman fell. No one even went to stop and help her because the panic was so scary.&quot;

The bus terminal was temporarily shut down and a large swath of midtown Manhattan was closed to traffic. Subway train service returned to normal after earlier disruptions.

WABC reported the suspect was in his 20s and that he has been in the United States for seven years and has an address in New York&#39;s Brooklyn borough. Police shut down the entire block and there was a heavy police presence outside the home.

First reports of the incident began soon after 7 a.m. (1200 GMT). New York in December sees a surge of visitors who come to see elaborate store displays, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and Broadway shows.

The bus terminal is the busiest in the United States, according to the Port Authority. On a typical weekday, about 220,000 passengers arrive or depart on more than 7,000 buses.

More than 200,000 people use the Times Square station, the city&#39;s busiest, each weekday, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The bus terminal is connected to the Times Square subway station - which serves 10 train lines - through a long, narrow below-ground tunnel that carries thousands of commuters during rush hour. Buskers and other entertainers at entrances to the tunnel often draw crowds.

The incident rippled through American financial markets, briefly weakening equity markets as they were starting trading for the week and giving a modest lift to safe-haven assets such as U.S. Treasuries.

S&amp;P 500 index emini futures dipped in the moments after the initial reports of an explosion, but major stock indexes later opened slightly higher.

On the West Coast, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation authority asked law enforcement for heightened security along bus and rail lines as a precaution.

The incident occurred less than two months after an Uzbek immigrant killed eight people by speeding a rental truck down a New York City bike path, in an attack for which Islamic State claimed responsibility.

In September 2016, a man injured 31 people when he set off a homemade bomb in New York&#39;s Chelsea district.

Akayed Ullah, 27, set off a homemade bomb strapped to his body at the Port Authority Bus Terminal

A Bangladeshi man with a homemade bomb strapped to his body set off an explosion at a New York commuter hub during rush hour on Monday, wounding himself and three others in what New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called an attempted terrorist attack. The suspect in the incident at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, a block from Times Square, was identified as Akayed Ullah, the New York Police Department commissioner said. The suspect had burns and lacerations while three other people, including a police officer, sustained minor injuries. Ullah is from the Bangladeshi city of Chittagong and is a U.S. resident, said the city's police chief. He had no criminal record there and last visited Bangladesh on Sept. 8, the chief said. The incident was captured on security video, police said. Video posted on NYPost.com showed smoke and a man lying in the tunnel that connects sections of the Times Square subway station and the bus station. A photograph showed a man lying face-down, with tattered clothes and burns on his torso × Ullah had a black cab/limousine driver's license from 2012 to 2015, after which it expired, the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission said. The weapon was based on a pipe bomb and fixed to the suspect with zip ties and velcro, police said. New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo, speaking at a news conference near the site, described the device as "amateur-level." De Blasio told the same news conference that the incident, which happened at the start of the city's rush hour, was "an attempted terrorist attack." "As New Yorkers our lives revolve around the subways. When we hear of an attack in the subways, it is incredibly unsettling," de Blasio said. New York City was a target, said John Miller, deputy police commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism. Miller cited the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that killed more than 2,750 people in New York and nearly 3,000 people total; and the World Trade Center bombing of February 26, 1993, which killed six people. "In the course of the post-9/11 world, as you are aware, there's also been approximately 26 plots that we can talk about that have been prevented through intelligence, investigation and intervention." The incident was captured on security video, police said. Video posted on NYPost.com showed smoke and a man lying in the tunnel that connects sections of the Times Square subway station and the bus station. A photograph showed a man lying face-down, with tattered clothes and burns on his torso. "There was a stampede up the stairs to get out," said one commuter, Diego Fernandez. "Everybody was scared and running and shouting.” Alicja Wlodkowski, a Pennsylvania resident in New York for the day, was sitting in a restaurant in the bus terminal. “Suddenly, I saw a group of people, like six people, running like nuts. A woman fell. No one even went to stop and help her because the panic was so scary." The bus terminal was temporarily shut down and a large swath of midtown Manhattan was closed to traffic. Subway train service returned to normal after earlier disruptions. WABC reported the suspect was in his 20s and that he has been in the United States for seven years and has an address in New York's Brooklyn borough. Police shut down the entire block and there was a heavy police presence outside the home. First reports of the incident began soon after 7 a.m. (1200 GMT). New York in December sees a surge of visitors who come to see elaborate store displays, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and Broadway shows. The bus terminal is the busiest in the United States, according to the Port Authority. On a typical weekday, about 220,000 passengers arrive or depart on more than 7,000 buses. More than 200,000 people use the Times Square station, the city's busiest, each weekday, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The bus terminal is connected to the Times Square subway station - which serves 10 train lines - through a long, narrow below-ground tunnel that carries thousands of commuters during rush hour. Buskers and other entertainers at entrances to the tunnel often draw crowds. The incident rippled through American financial markets, briefly weakening equity markets as they were starting trading for the week and giving a modest lift to safe-haven assets such as U.S. Treasuries. S&P 500 index emini futures dipped in the moments after the initial reports of an explosion, but major stock indexes later opened slightly higher. On the West Coast, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation authority asked law enforcement for heightened security along bus and rail lines as a precaution. The incident occurred less than two months after an Uzbek immigrant killed eight people by speeding a rental truck down a New York City bike path, in an attack for which Islamic State claimed responsibility. In September 2016, a man injured 31 people when he set off a homemade bomb in New York's Chelsea district.

New York explosion: Suspect identified as Bangladeshi, had no criminal record

Rohingya refugees continue to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh even though both countries set up a timetable last month to allow them to start to return home, the UN&nbsp;refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday.

The number of refugees appears to have slowed. 625,000 have arrived since August 25.30,000 came last month and around 1,500 arrived last week, UNHCR said

&quot;The refugee emergency in Bangladesh is the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world,&quot; said deputy high commissioner Kelly Clements. &quot;Conditions in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhaine state are not in place to enable a safe and sustainable return ... refugees are still fleeing.&quot;

&quot;Most have little or nothing to go back to. Their homes and villages have been destroyed. Deep divisions between communities remain unaddressed and human access is inadequate,&quot; she said.

Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed on November 23 to start the return of Rohingya within two months. It did not say when the process would be complete.

Myanmar&#39;s security forces may be guilty of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority, according to the top UN&nbsp;human rights official this week. Mainly Buddhist Myanmar denies the Muslim Rohingya are its citizens and considers them foreigners.

UNHCR would make a fresh appeal to donors for funds after the end of February in next year, Kelly said.

Rohingya refugees continue to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh even though both countries set up a timetable last month to allow them to start to return home, the UN?refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday

Rohingya refugees continue to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh even though both countries set up a timetable last month to allow them to start to return home, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday. The number of refugees appears to have slowed. 625,000 have arrived since August 25.30,000 came last month and around 1,500 arrived last week, UNHCR said "The refugee emergency in Bangladesh is the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world," said deputy high commissioner Kelly Clements. "Conditions in Myanmar's Rakhaine state are not in place to enable a safe and sustainable return ... refugees are still fleeing." "Most have little or nothing to go back to. Their homes and villages have been destroyed. Deep divisions between communities remain unaddressed and human access is inadequate," she said. Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed on November 23 to start the return of Rohingya within two months. It did not say when the process would be complete. Myanmar's security forces may be guilty of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority, according to the top UN human rights official this week. Mainly Buddhist Myanmar denies the Muslim Rohingya are its citizens and considers them foreigners. UNHCR would make a fresh appeal to donors for funds after the end of February in next year, Kelly said.

Rohingya refugees still fleeing from Myanmar to Bangladesh - UNHCR

The Supreme Court has scheduled the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-hear-rohingya-refugees-pil-challenging-deportation-22374" target="_blank"> hearing for Rohingya refugees deportation </a>on January 31.

The apex court has posted all petitions relating to the deportation of Muslim Rohingya refugees for a detailed hearing in January.&nbsp;

The Centre had earlier filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the issue of deportation of Rohingya Muslims from India.

The centre told the apex court that the presence of Rohingyas in the country posed a threat to the national security of the country.&nbsp;Besides being a security threat because of links to the ISI and the IS, Rohingyas will exhaust natural resources meant for Indian citizens resulting in hostility and social tensions, the centre added.&nbsp;

The argument was based on an information received from intelligence inputs which suggested that some of the Rohingya&#39;s had links with Pak -based terror groups.&nbsp;

The Public Interest Litigation was filed by two Rohingya Muslims challenging the Indian government&#39;s decision to deport around 40,000 people of the community.

In their petition, the two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, argue that they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there.&nbsp;

Another Rohingya refugee then filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India, denying the Indian government&#39;s claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with Pakistan&#39;s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Islamic State. The affidavit states that the Rohingyas should be treated at par with Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees.

Over 40,000 Rohingyas are living in India as refugees.

These refugees have been settled in Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.&nbsp;

About half a million Rohingya&#39;s were forced to flee Myanmar in order to escape the deadly violence.

The UN has described the Rohingya exodus as ethnic cleansing.

The apex court has posted all petitions relating to the deportation of Muslim Rohingya refugees for a detailed hearing in January

The Supreme Court has scheduled the hearing for Rohingya refugees deportation on January 31. The apex court has posted all petitions relating to the deportation of Muslim Rohingya refugees for a detailed hearing in January. The Centre had earlier filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the issue of deportation of Rohingya Muslims from India. The centre told the apex court that the presence of Rohingyas in the country posed a threat to the national security of the country. Besides being a security threat because of links to the ISI and the IS, Rohingyas will exhaust natural resources meant for Indian citizens resulting in hostility and social tensions, the centre added. The argument was based on an information received from intelligence inputs which suggested that some of the Rohingya's had links with Pak -based terror groups. The Public Interest Litigation was filed by two Rohingya Muslims challenging the Indian government's decision to deport around 40,000 people of the community. In their petition, the two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, argue that they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there. Another Rohingya refugee then filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India, denying the Indian government's claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Islamic State. The affidavit states that the Rohingyas should be treated at par with Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees. Over 40,000 Rohingyas are living in India as refugees. These refugees have been settled in Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. About half a million Rohingya's were forced to flee Myanmar in order to escape the deadly violence. The UN has described the Rohingya exodus as ethnic cleansing.

Supreme Court to hear Rohingya petition on January 31

Bangladesh has called for a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to discuss the human rights issue of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

Recently, Bangladesh had sent a notice along with Saudi Arabia to the UNHRC in this regard, Dhaka Tribune has reported.

Their notice has received support of 33 of the 47 member states, and 40 other non-UNHRC nations.

The move comes just over a week after Sheikh Hasina-led government signed a bilateral agreement with Myanmar on Rohingya repatriation.

According to the national daily, Bangladesh also wants to discuss the human rights condition of other minorities living in Myanmar`s Rakhine state with the UNHCR members.

Since the military action began in Rakhine in August, after some militants attacked security forces&#39;&nbsp;post, over 6 lakh Rohingyas have fled the state to neighbouring countries, especially to Bangladesh.

As of now, 6.25 lakh refugees have taken shelter in the country.

According to Myanmar`s 1982 Citizenship Act, Rohingyas are not considered naturalised citizens and, repeatedly, have been at the receiving end of the ethnic clashes in the country.

Recently, Bangladesh had sent a notice along with Saudi Arabia to the UNHRC in this regard which has received the support of 33 of the 47 member states, and 40 other non-UNHRC nations

Bangladesh has called for a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to discuss the human rights issue of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Recently, Bangladesh had sent a notice along with Saudi Arabia to the UNHRC in this regard, Dhaka Tribune has reported. Their notice has received support of 33 of the 47 member states, and 40 other non-UNHRC nations. The move comes just over a week after Sheikh Hasina-led government signed a bilateral agreement with Myanmar on Rohingya repatriation. According to the national daily, Bangladesh also wants to discuss the human rights condition of other minorities living in Myanmar`s Rakhine state with the UNHCR members. Since the military action began in Rakhine in August, after some militants attacked security forces' post, over 6 lakh Rohingyas have fled the state to neighbouring countries, especially to Bangladesh. As of now, 6.25 lakh refugees have taken shelter in the country. According to Myanmar`s 1982 Citizenship Act, Rohingyas are not considered naturalised citizens and, repeatedly, have been at the receiving end of the ethnic clashes in the country.

Bangladesh calls for UNHRC meeting to discuss Rohingya crisis

Pope Francis landed in Bangladesh on Thursday after a diplomatically sensitive trip to mainly Buddhist Myanmar, where he made no direct reference to the plight of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh in their hundreds of thousands.

The pope&rsquo;s trip to mostly Muslim Bangladesh is likely to less sensitive though his words will be closely watched following his decision not to use the word &ldquo;Rohingya&rdquo; in public during his four-day Myanmar trip to avoid a diplomatic incident with the country some have accused of ethnic cleansing.

On Friday, the pope is expected to meet a group of Rohingya refugees from among the roughly 625,000 who have fled to Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar since the end of August.

&ldquo;He did not even pronounce the word &lsquo;Rohingya&rsquo; in Myanmar,&rdquo; H.T. Imam, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s political adviser, told Reuters on Thursday.

&ldquo;Here we would be looking forward to what he says.&rdquo;

Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid welcomed the pope at Dhaka airport. Hamid and the pope were both due to make speeches later in the day and to raise the refugee crisis.

The Vatican on Wednesday said the pope&rsquo;s moral authority was unblemished by his failure to refer to the persecuted Myanmar Muslim minority by the name they chose to identify themselves by, and his mere presence drew attention to the refugee crisis.

Pope Francis's trip to mostly Muslim Bangladesh is likely to be less sensitive, though his words will be closely watched following his decision not to use the word 'Rohingya' in public during his four-day Myanmar trip to avoid a diplomatic incident in the country

Pope Francis landed in Bangladesh on Thursday after a diplomatically sensitive trip to mainly Buddhist Myanmar, where he made no direct reference to the plight of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh in their hundreds of thousands. The pope’s trip to mostly Muslim Bangladesh is likely to less sensitive though his words will be closely watched following his decision not to use the word “Rohingya” in public during his four-day Myanmar trip to avoid a diplomatic incident with the country some have accused of ethnic cleansing. On Friday, the pope is expected to meet a group of Rohingya refugees from among the roughly 625,000 who have fled to Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar since the end of August. “He did not even pronounce the word ‘Rohingya’ in Myanmar,” H.T. Imam, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political adviser, told Reuters on Thursday. “Here we would be looking forward to what he says.” Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid welcomed the pope at Dhaka airport. Hamid and the pope were both due to make speeches later in the day and to raise the refugee crisis. The Vatican on Wednesday said the pope’s moral authority was unblemished by his failure to refer to the persecuted Myanmar Muslim minority by the name they chose to identify themselves by, and his mere presence drew attention to the refugee crisis.

Rohingya crisis: After visiting Myanmar, Pope arrives in Bangladesh

After spending three days in Myanmar, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-addresses-myanmars-buddhist-monks-avoids-using-the-term-rohingya-again-25447">Pope Francis arrived in Bangladesh today</a> to find a peaceful solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis which has created deep fissures between the Asian neighbours.

The Pope who has avoided <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bangladesh-priest-disappearance-casts-pall-over-pope-visit-25448">using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; so far </a>during his visit to Asia, spoke of &quot;refugees from Rakhine state&quot; as he arrived in Bangladesh.

In his speech before Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid, the Pope praised Bangladesh&#39;s &quot;spirit of generosity and solidarity&quot; in helping &quot;a massive influx of refugees from Rakhine state&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis,&quot; he added.

The appealed to everyone involved in the crisis to help offer&nbsp;&quot;immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps,&quot; he said.

Francis who is on a three-day visit to Bangladesh is the first pope to visit the country in 31 years.&nbsp;

The Pope flew down from Myanmar after meeting the military chief and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi calling for calm even as the Rohingya refugees continued to pour into Bangladesh due to alleged atrocities against them in Rakhine state which has attracted worldwide condemnation.

&nbsp;

The Pope who has avoided using the term "Rohingya" so far during his visit to Asia, spoke of "refugees from Rakhine state" as he arrived in Bangladesh

After spending three days in Myanmar, Pope Francis arrived in Bangladesh today to find a peaceful solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis which has created deep fissures between the Asian neighbours. The Pope who has avoided using the term "Rohingya" so far during his visit to Asia, spoke of "refugees from Rakhine state" as he arrived in Bangladesh. In his speech before Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid, the Pope praised Bangladesh's "spirit of generosity and solidarity" in helping "a massive influx of refugees from Rakhine state". "It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis," he added. The appealed to everyone involved in the crisis to help offer "immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs." "None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps," he said. Francis who is on a three-day visit to Bangladesh is the first pope to visit the country in 31 years. The Pope flew down from Myanmar after meeting the military chief and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi calling for calm even as the Rohingya refugees continued to pour into Bangladesh due to alleged atrocities against them in Rakhine state which has attracted worldwide condemnation.

Pope arrives in Bangladesh, appeals for decisive action for 'refugees from Rakhine state'

A Catholic priest has disappeared in Bangladesh, police said&nbsp;Wednesday, a day before Pope Francis starts a landmark visit to the Muslim-majority nation wracked by Islamist extremism.

Walter William Rosario, 40, is from the same village in northern Bangladesh where suspected Islamist extremists last year hacked a Catholic grocer to death as he opened his shop.

A major search has been launched for Rosario, who is also headmaster of a Catholic school in Natore district, after his family reported him missing, police said.

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&quot;He has been missing since late&nbsp;Monday. His mobile has been switched off,&quot; local police chief Biplob Bijoy Talukder told AFP.

Gerves Rosario, the bishop of the nearby city of Rajshahi, said he believed the priest had been kidnapped and that Catholics in the region were deeply worried.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-meets-aung-san-suu-kyi-as-rohingya-crisis-simmers-25346" target="_blank">Also read: Pope Francis meets Aung San Suu Kyi, avoids using the term &#39;Rohingya&#39;</a>

&quot;He was organising for around 300 Catholics to travel to Dhaka to see the Pope and attend his holy mass. But his disappearance has marred their joy. They don&#39;t want to go to Dhaka anymore,&quot; said the bishop.

The family received a phone call from someone using Rosario&#39;s number to demand a ransom, but Talukder said police believed this was a hoax.

They have not ruled out the possibility he was abducted by Islamist extremists, who have carried out attacks on religious minorities in the region in the past four years.

Pope Francis arrives in Bangladesh&nbsp;Thursday&nbsp;on the first visit to the country by the head of the Catholic Church in 31 years.

The trip will be dominated by the plight of more than 620,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled ethnic unrest in Myanmar and taken refuge in Bangladesh.

Christians, who make up less than 0.5 percent of Bangladesh&#39;s 160 million people, have in recent years faced attacks by Islamist radicals.

Since 2015 at least three Christians, including two converts from Islam, have been hacked to death in attacks blamed on the militant Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

In July last year militants from the same group stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages including 18 foreigners in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

However, the government has denied the international militants&#39; involvement and security forces have killed more than 70 alleged militants since the cafe attack.

Walter William Rosario, 40, is from the same village in northern Bangladesh where suspected Islamist extremists last year hacked a Catholic grocer to death

A Catholic priest has disappeared in Bangladesh, police said Wednesday, a day before Pope Francis starts a landmark visit to the Muslim-majority nation wracked by Islamist extremism. Walter William Rosario, 40, is from the same village in northern Bangladesh where suspected Islamist extremists last year hacked a Catholic grocer to death as he opened his shop. A major search has been launched for Rosario, who is also headmaster of a Catholic school in Natore district, after his family reported him missing, police said. Pope Francis arrives in Bangladesh Thursday on the first visit to the country by the head of the Catholic Church in 31 years × "He has been missing since late Monday. His mobile has been switched off," local police chief Biplob Bijoy Talukder told AFP. Gerves Rosario, the bishop of the nearby city of Rajshahi, said he believed the priest had been kidnapped and that Catholics in the region were deeply worried. Also read: Pope Francis meets Aung San Suu Kyi, avoids using the term 'Rohingya' "He was organising for around 300 Catholics to travel to Dhaka to see the Pope and attend his holy mass. But his disappearance has marred their joy. They don't want to go to Dhaka anymore," said the bishop. The family received a phone call from someone using Rosario's number to demand a ransom, but Talukder said police believed this was a hoax. They have not ruled out the possibility he was abducted by Islamist extremists, who have carried out attacks on religious minorities in the region in the past four years. Pope Francis arrives in Bangladesh Thursday on the first visit to the country by the head of the Catholic Church in 31 years. The trip will be dominated by the plight of more than 620,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled ethnic unrest in Myanmar and taken refuge in Bangladesh. Christians, who make up less than 0.5 percent of Bangladesh's 160 million people, have in recent years faced attacks by Islamist radicals. Since 2015 at least three Christians, including two converts from Islam, have been hacked to death in attacks blamed on the militant Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). In July last year militants from the same group stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages including 18 foreigners in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. However, the government has denied the international militants' involvement and security forces have killed more than 70 alleged militants since the cafe attack.

Catholic priest disappears in Bangladesh before Pope's visit

A Catholic priest has disappeared in Bangladesh, police said Wednesday, as the Muslim-majority country stepped up security ahead of a landmark visit by Pope Francis that follows a rise in Islamist attacks on religious minorities.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/catholic-priest-disappears-in-bangladesh-before-pope-visit-25418">Walter William Rosario, a 40-year-old priest and headmaster of a Catholic school, went missing on Monday</a> in a village in northern Bangladesh where suspected Islamist extremists last year hacked a Catholic grocer to death.

Gerves Rosario, bishop of the nearby city of Rajshahi, said he believed the priest had been kidnapped and that Catholics in the region were deeply worried.

&quot;He was organising for around 300 Catholics to travel to Dhaka to see the Pope and attend his holy mass. But his disappearance has marred their joy. They don&#39;t want to go to Dhaka any more,&quot; he said.

News of his disappearance comes as Bangladesh tightens security in the capital Dhaka ahead of the arrival Thursday of the first pontiff to visit Bangladesh in more than three decades.

Police in Natore district said they had launched a major search for Rosario after his family reported him missing.

&quot;He has been missing since late Monday. His mobile has been switched off,&quot; local police chief Biplob Bijoy Talukder told AFP.

The family received a phone call from someone using the missing man&#39;s number to demand a ransom, but Talukder said police believed this was a hoax.

They have not ruled out the possibility he was abducted by Islamist extremists, who have carried out attacks on religious minorities in the region in the past four years.

&#39;Our joy is gone&#39;&nbsp;

Since 2015 at least three Christians, including two converts from Islam, have been hacked to death in attacks blamed on the militant Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

Bikash Hubert Rebeiro, the priest in Bonpara village where Rosario grew up, described him as a &quot;good man&quot; whose disappearance had cast a pall over the pope&#39;s visit.

&quot;Our joy is gone,&quot; he told AFP by phone. &quot;Everyone in the village is shocked. His elderly mother has being crying non stop.&quot;

Rebeiro said Rosario&#39;s family was friendly with the relatives of Sunil Gomes, the Catholic grocer murdered outside his shop last year.

Christians make up less than 0.5 percent of Bangladesh&#39;s 160 million people and have for centuries lived in harmony alongside the Muslim majority. But community leaders say a rise in Islamist extremism has strained relations.

Bangladesh authorities have escalated security in Christian areas of Dhaka in recent days as tens of thousands descend on the capital for an open-air mass on Friday.&nbsp;

On Tuesday police said they had killed three suspected Islamist militants in a raid on a house where they found hand grenades, pistols and bomb-making materials.

&quot;The pope&rsquo;s visit is a matter of honour for us.&nbsp; We are organising the highest level of security for him,&quot; police spokeswoman Sahely Ferdous told AFP.

The three-day visit will be dominated by the plight of more than 620,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled ethnic unrest in Myanmar and taken refuge in Bangladesh.

Their arrival has added to the huge challenges already facing the poor, overpopulated country, which has seen a substantial rise in Islamist extremism in recent years.

In July last year Islamist militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages including 18 foreigners in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

The government has denied the international group&#39;s involvement. Since the attack, security forces have killed more than 70 alleged militants in a crackdown condemned by rights activists and opposition parties.

A Catholic priest has disappeared in Bangladesh, police said Wednesday, as the Muslim-majority country stepped up security ahead of a landmark visit by Pope Francis that follows a rise in Islamist attacks on religious minorities

A Catholic priest has disappeared in Bangladesh, police said Wednesday, as the Muslim-majority country stepped up security ahead of a landmark visit by Pope Francis that follows a rise in Islamist attacks on religious minorities. Walter William Rosario, a 40-year-old priest and headmaster of a Catholic school, went missing on Monday in a village in northern Bangladesh where suspected Islamist extremists last year hacked a Catholic grocer to death. Gerves Rosario, bishop of the nearby city of Rajshahi, said he believed the priest had been kidnapped and that Catholics in the region were deeply worried. "He was organising for around 300 Catholics to travel to Dhaka to see the Pope and attend his holy mass. But his disappearance has marred their joy. They don't want to go to Dhaka any more," he said. News of his disappearance comes as Bangladesh tightens security in the capital Dhaka ahead of the arrival Thursday of the first pontiff to visit Bangladesh in more than three decades. Police in Natore district said they had launched a major search for Rosario after his family reported him missing. "He has been missing since late Monday. His mobile has been switched off," local police chief Biplob Bijoy Talukder told AFP. The family received a phone call from someone using the missing man's number to demand a ransom, but Talukder said police believed this was a hoax. They have not ruled out the possibility he was abducted by Islamist extremists, who have carried out attacks on religious minorities in the region in the past four years. 'Our joy is gone' Since 2015 at least three Christians, including two converts from Islam, have been hacked to death in attacks blamed on the militant Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Bikash Hubert Rebeiro, the priest in Bonpara village where Rosario grew up, described him as a "good man" whose disappearance had cast a pall over the pope's visit. "Our joy is gone," he told AFP by phone. "Everyone in the village is shocked. His elderly mother has being crying non stop." Rebeiro said Rosario's family was friendly with the relatives of Sunil Gomes, the Catholic grocer murdered outside his shop last year. Christians make up less than 0.5 percent of Bangladesh's 160 million people and have for centuries lived in harmony alongside the Muslim majority. But community leaders say a rise in Islamist extremism has strained relations. Bangladesh authorities have escalated security in Christian areas of Dhaka in recent days as tens of thousands descend on the capital for an open-air mass on Friday. On Tuesday police said they had killed three suspected Islamist militants in a raid on a house where they found hand grenades, pistols and bomb-making materials. "The pope’s visit is a matter of honour for us. We are organising the highest level of security for him," police spokeswoman Sahely Ferdous told AFP. The three-day visit will be dominated by the plight of more than 620,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled ethnic unrest in Myanmar and taken refuge in Bangladesh. Their arrival has added to the huge challenges already facing the poor, overpopulated country, which has seen a substantial rise in Islamist extremism in recent years. In July last year Islamist militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages including 18 foreigners in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The government has denied the international group's involvement. Since the attack, security forces have killed more than 70 alleged militants in a crackdown condemned by rights activists and opposition parties.

Bangladesh priest disappears ahead of Pope's visit

A Bangladesh court on Monday upheld death sentences for 139 soldiers over the massacre of 74 people including 57 senior army officers during a 2009 mutiny, the attorney general said.

&quot;The verdict has upheld the death sentence for 139 people,&quot; Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters after the High Court handed down its judgment in Dhaka.

&quot;Nowhere in the world did anything happen like the way those 57 top army officers were killed,&quot; Alam said.

The sentences will be appealed again to the Supreme Court, which by law has the final say in all capital punishment cases.

In 2013 a court sentenced 152 soldiers to death for the grisly killings in which dozens of officers were shot, hacked to death or burnt alive before being dumped in sewers or shallow graves.

One of those handed the death penalty died in custody, eight others had sentences commuted to life imprisonment and four were acquitted, Alam said.

The sentences were condemned at the time by the UN rights chief, who expressed alarm at such a heavy punishment meted out in a mass trial.

The mutineers stole thousands of weapons in February 2009 before going on a two-day killing spree at a barracks.

Bangladesh has a history of military coups and the massacre threatened the newly-elected government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which responded by arresting thousands of suspects.

The sentences will be appealed again to the Supreme Court, which by law has the final say in all capital punishment cases

A Bangladesh court on Monday upheld death sentences for 139 soldiers over the massacre of 74 people including 57 senior army officers during a 2009 mutiny, the attorney general said. "The verdict has upheld the death sentence for 139 people," Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters after the High Court handed down its judgment in Dhaka. "Nowhere in the world did anything happen like the way those 57 top army officers were killed," Alam said. The sentences will be appealed again to the Supreme Court, which by law has the final say in all capital punishment cases. In 2013 a court sentenced 152 soldiers to death for the grisly killings in which dozens of officers were shot, hacked to death or burnt alive before being dumped in sewers or shallow graves. One of those handed the death penalty died in custody, eight others had sentences commuted to life imprisonment and four were acquitted, Alam said. The sentences were condemned at the time by the UN rights chief, who expressed alarm at such a heavy punishment meted out in a mass trial. The mutineers stole thousands of weapons in February 2009 before going on a two-day killing spree at a barracks. Bangladesh has a history of military coups and the massacre threatened the newly-elected government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which responded by arresting thousands of suspects.

Bangladesh upholds death sentence for 139 soldiers for 2009 mutiny

The U.N. Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar that have driven more than 600,000 into Bangladesh since August, U.N. sources said on Monday.

&quot;There will be a special session on December 5,&quot; a senior United Nations source told Reuters.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-arrives-in-myanmar-on-high-stakes-visit-25246">Rohingya crisis: Pope arrives in Myanmar</a>

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra&#39;ad al-Hussein has described the Myanmar army&#39;s crackdown in Rakhine state as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

The military has denied the accusations of murder, rape, torture and forced displacement.

'There will be a special session on December 5,' a senior United Nations source told Reuters

The U.N. Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar that have driven more than 600,000 into Bangladesh since August, U.N. sources said on Monday. "There will be a special session on December 5," a senior United Nations source told Reuters. Also read: Rohingya crisis: Pope arrives in Myanmar U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein has described the Myanmar army's crackdown in Rakhine state as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. The military has denied the accusations of murder, rape, torture and forced displacement.

UN rights forum to hold special session on Rohingya: UN sources

United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar.

There will be a special session on December 5,&nbsp;reported by Reuters&nbsp;

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid&nbsp; Ra`ad al-Hussein described the Myanmar army&#39;s crakcdown of Rohingya in Rakhine state as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

However, the military denied the accusations of murder, rape torture, and forced displacement.

So far&nbsp;more than&nbsp;600,000 Rohingya have been driven into Bangladesh since August.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

UN Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on December 5, on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar

United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar. There will be a special session on December 5, reported by Reuters UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra`ad al-Hussein described the Myanmar army's crakcdown of Rohingya in Rakhine state as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. However, the military denied the accusations of murder, rape torture, and forced displacement. So far more than 600,000 Rohingya have been driven into Bangladesh since August.

United Nation rights council to hold special session on Rohingya: Reports

&#39;&#39;My presence is a sign of affinity and hope,&quot; said Pope Francis as he embarked on a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis.&nbsp;

&quot;I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope,&quot; Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter&#39;s Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip.

Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing.

AFP quoting Pope&#39;s aides stated Pope Francis will seek to encourage reconciliation, dialogue and further efforts to alleviate the crisis following last week&#39;s tentative agreement between the two countries to work towards a return of some of the Rohingya to Myanmar.

The Pope&#39;s message will be spelled out at a Yangon mass expected to be attended by up to a third of the country&#39;s 660,000-strong Catholic community, who will be welcoming a pope to their homeland for the first time.

Francis is also due to meet the country&#39;s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing, AFP reports quoting official sources.

Local Church officials hope some 100,000 Catholics will attend an open-air mass in the capital Dhaka that will be subject to tight security in a country where Islamist extremist attacks are on the increase.

In Bangladesh, Francis will be treading in the footsteps of predecessors, John Paul II, who visited Bangladesh in 1986, and Paul VI, who visited what was then East Pakistan in 1970, a year before the country gained independence.

Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing

''My presence is a sign of affinity and hope," said Pope Francis as he embarked on a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis. "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope," Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter's Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip. Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing. AFP quoting Pope's aides stated Pope Francis will seek to encourage reconciliation, dialogue and further efforts to alleviate the crisis following last week's tentative agreement between the two countries to work towards a return of some of the Rohingya to Myanmar. The Pope's message will be spelled out at a Yangon mass expected to be attended by up to a third of the country's 660,000-strong Catholic community, who will be welcoming a pope to their homeland for the first time. Francis is also due to meet the country's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing, AFP reports quoting official sources. Local Church officials hope some 100,000 Catholics will attend an open-air mass in the capital Dhaka that will be subject to tight security in a country where Islamist extremist attacks are on the increase. In Bangladesh, Francis will be treading in the footsteps of predecessors, John Paul II, who visited Bangladesh in 1986, and Paul VI, who visited what was then East Pakistan in 1970, a year before the country gained independence.

Rohingya crisis: Pope Francis heads to Myanmar & Bangladesh

Myanmar&#39;s Army chief General Min Aung Hlaing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-arrives-in-myanmar-on-high-stakes-visit-25246">met Pope Francis in </a>Yangon today as tensions between Bangladesh and Myanmar continued to simmer even after three months since&nbsp;the exodus of Rohingyas from&nbsp;Rakhine state.

A motorcade arrived at the archbishop&#39;s residence as the Pope arrived earlier in Myanmar with people on the streets coming out in huge numbers to welcome him.

During the meeting, Hlaing told Pope Francis that Myanmar had &quot;no religious discrimination&quot; as the two men spoke with each other for the first time.

&quot;Myanmar has no religious discrimination at all,&quot; adding, &quot;Likewise our military too... performs for the peace and stability of the country,&quot;&nbsp;Hlaing said.

The Pope who is on a four-day visit to the country will meet the Rohingya refugees including Myanmar leader Suu Kyi.

On November 29, the Pope will address the Sangha Maha Nayaka, the country&#39;s highest Buddhist authority, which is a government-backed panel of senior monks responsible for regulating the Buddhist clergy.

Pope Francis is visiting Myanmar for the first time.

A motorcade arrived at the archbishop's residence as the Pope arrived earlier in the day with people on the streets coming out in huge numbers to welcome him.

Myanmar's Army chief General Min Aung Hlaing met Pope Francis in Yangon today as tensions between Bangladesh and Myanmar continued to simmer even after three months since the exodus of Rohingyas from Rakhine state. A motorcade arrived at the archbishop's residence as the Pope arrived earlier in Myanmar with people on the streets coming out in huge numbers to welcome him. During the meeting, Hlaing told Pope Francis that Myanmar had "no religious discrimination" as the two men spoke with each other for the first time. "Myanmar has no religious discrimination at all," adding, "Likewise our military too... performs for the peace and stability of the country," Hlaing said. The Pope who is on a four-day visit to the country will meet the Rohingya refugees including Myanmar leader Suu Kyi. On November 29, the Pope will address the Sangha Maha Nayaka, the country's highest Buddhist authority, which is a government-backed panel of senior monks responsible for regulating the Buddhist clergy. Pope Francis is visiting Myanmar for the first time.

'No religious discrimination in Myanmar,' military chief to Pope Francis

Bangladesh police said on Saturday they had arrested an Islamist militant wanted in connection with the 2015 killing of a US&nbsp;blogger critical of religious extremism.

Deputy police commissioner Masudur Rahman said the man, identified as Arafat Rahman, 24, a member of al Qaeda-inspired militant group Ansar Ullah Bangla Team, was suspected of taking part in the killing of writer Avijit Roy.

Roy, a US&nbsp;citizen of Bangladeshi origin, was hacked to death by machete-wielding assailants in February 2015 while returning home with his wife from a Dhaka book fair. Roy&#39;s widow, Rafida Ahmed, was seriously injured.

Police official Rahman said the detainee, who was identified after analysing CCTV footage, was arrested by the counter-terrorism police unit on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, on Friday night.

&quot;In the primary interrogation, he confessed his involvement in the killing of four other secular activists,&quot; he told Reuters.

It was not possible to contact the detainee to comment as he was in police custody.

Muslim-majority Bangladesh of 160 million people has had a string of deadly attacks targeting bloggers, foreigners and religious minorities.

The most serious recent attack came in July 2016, when gunmen stormed a cafe in the diplomatic quarter of Dhaka and killed 22 people, most of them foreigners.

Police say the Ansar Ullah Bangla Team militant group is behind the murders of more than a dozen secular bloggers and gay rights activists. They believe a sacked army major, who is still at large, was the leader of the group and masterminded the killings.

Al Qaeda and Islamic State have also claimed responsibility for a series of killings over the past few years, including that of Roy.

The government has denied the presence of such groups, blaming domestic militants instead. But security experts say the scale and sophistication of the cafe attack suggested links to a wider network.

Police and army commandos have killed more than 60 suspected militants and arrested hundreds since the cafe attack.

The man, identified as Arafat Rahman, a member of al Qaeda-inspired militant group Ansar Ullah Bangla Team, was suspected of taking part in the killing of writer Avijit Roy said Deputy police commissioner Masudur Rahman

Bangladesh police said on Saturday they had arrested an Islamist militant wanted in connection with the 2015 killing of a US blogger critical of religious extremism. Deputy police commissioner Masudur Rahman said the man, identified as Arafat Rahman, 24, a member of al Qaeda-inspired militant group Ansar Ullah Bangla Team, was suspected of taking part in the killing of writer Avijit Roy. Roy, a US citizen of Bangladeshi origin, was hacked to death by machete-wielding assailants in February 2015 while returning home with his wife from a Dhaka book fair. Roy's widow, Rafida Ahmed, was seriously injured. Police official Rahman said the detainee, who was identified after analysing CCTV footage, was arrested by the counter-terrorism police unit on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, on Friday night. "In the primary interrogation, he confessed his involvement in the killing of four other secular activists," he told Reuters. It was not possible to contact the detainee to comment as he was in police custody. Muslim-majority Bangladesh of 160 million people has had a string of deadly attacks targeting bloggers, foreigners and religious minorities. The most serious recent attack came in July 2016, when gunmen stormed a cafe in the diplomatic quarter of Dhaka and killed 22 people, most of them foreigners. Police say the Ansar Ullah Bangla Team militant group is behind the murders of more than a dozen secular bloggers and gay rights activists. They believe a sacked army major, who is still at large, was the leader of the group and masterminded the killings. Al Qaeda and Islamic State have also claimed responsibility for a series of killings over the past few years, including that of Roy. The government has denied the presence of such groups, blaming domestic militants instead. But security experts say the scale and sophistication of the cafe attack suggested links to a wider network. Police and army commandos have killed more than 60 suspected militants and arrested hundreds since the cafe attack.

Bangladesh arrests militant suspect in US blogger murder

Rohingya refugees who return to Myanmar from Bangladesh following a repatriation agreement will initially live in temporary shelters or camps, Dhaka said Saturday, a day after the UN raised concern for their safety when they go back.

The United Nations says more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August and now live in squalor in the world`s largest refugee camp after a military crackdown in Myanmar that the UN and Washington have said clearly constitutes &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-condemns-ethnic-cleansing-of-myanmars-rohingya-24870">ethnic cleansing</a>&quot;.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Thursday which would pave the way for the return of the refugees at the &quot;earliest&quot; opportunity, according to the deal, which Dhaka released on Saturday.

&quot;Primarily they will be kept at temporary shelters or arrangements for a limited time,&quot; Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali told reporters in the capital.

The comments come after the UN refugee agency UNHCR on Friday raised concerns over the agreement, saying conditions to enable refugees to safely return to Rakhine State were not in place.

Under the deal, Yangon will &quot;encourage those who had left Myanmar to return voluntarily and safely to their own households&quot; in Rakhine State or &quot;to a safe and secure place nearest to it&quot;.&nbsp;

However most of the Rohingya villages were burnt during the violence, Ali said, and refugees would have no choice but to live in temporary shelters there.

&quot;There are no houses. Where will they live? It is not possible to physically (return to their own homes),&quot; he said.

Under the terms of the agreement, Myanmar will ensure temporary shelters are only a short-term option and that refugees` &quot;freedom of movement in the Rakhine State will be allowed in conformity with the existing laws and regulations&quot;.

More than 100,000 Rohingya have been living in grim camps for internally displaced persons since violence erupted in Rakhine in 2012.

Rohingya activist Mohammad Zubair told AFP that &quot;Rohingya people will never agree to voluntary repatriation if they are not taken back to their villages and their land returned to them&quot;.&nbsp;

He said Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a similar repatriation agreement in 1992, which led to the return of some 200,000 Rohingya to Rakhine, but unresolved problems, including the issue of citizenship, continue to fester.

The stateless Rohingya have been systematically oppressed by Myanmar, which has stripped the minority of citizenship and severely restricts their movement, as well as their access to basic services.

Myanmar`s government says Rohingya are interlopers from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, even though many can trace their roots in Myanmar back generations.

&quot;Unless we get citizenship in Myanmar, no way the Rohingya will this time return to Rakhine,&quot; Zubair said.

UNHCR has echoed the concerns of the Rohingya, saying all returns must include &quot;the informed consent of refugees&quot;.

According to the agreement, some 700,000 Rohingyas who have fled to Bangladesh since October 2016 will be considered for repatriation.

But that still leaves hundreds of thousands of Rohingya -&nbsp;some of whom fled Myanmar years or decades ago - in Bangladesh.

&quot;The repatriation of residents who crossed over to Bangladesh earlier will be considered separately on the conclusion of the present arrangement,&quot; the newly-signed deal said.&nbsp;

Impoverished and overcrowded Bangladesh has won international praise for allowing the refugees into the country, but has imposed restrictions on their movement and said it does not want them to stay.

The new agreement has already drawn criticism at home, with the main opposition party saying &quot;taking steps to repatriate Rohingyas without stopping repression and genocide in their homeland will be tantamount to pushing them to the hell&quot;.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Thursday which would pave the way for the return of the refugees at the "earliest" opportunity, according to the deal, which Dhaka released on Saturday

Rohingya refugees who return to Myanmar from Bangladesh following a repatriation agreement will initially live in temporary shelters or camps, Dhaka said Saturday, a day after the UN raised concern for their safety when they go back. The United Nations says more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August and now live in squalor in the world`s largest refugee camp after a military crackdown in Myanmar that the UN and Washington have said clearly constitutes "ethnic cleansing". Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Thursday which would pave the way for the return of the refugees at the "earliest" opportunity, according to the deal, which Dhaka released on Saturday. "Primarily they will be kept at temporary shelters or arrangements for a limited time," Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali told reporters in the capital. The comments come after the UN refugee agency UNHCR on Friday raised concerns over the agreement, saying conditions to enable refugees to safely return to Rakhine State were not in place. Under the deal, Yangon will "encourage those who had left Myanmar to return voluntarily and safely to their own households" in Rakhine State or "to a safe and secure place nearest to it". However most of the Rohingya villages were burnt during the violence, Ali said, and refugees would have no choice but to live in temporary shelters there. "There are no houses. Where will they live? It is not possible to physically (return to their own homes)," he said. Under the terms of the agreement, Myanmar will ensure temporary shelters are only a short-term option and that refugees` "freedom of movement in the Rakhine State will be allowed in conformity with the existing laws and regulations". More than 100,000 Rohingya have been living in grim camps for internally displaced persons since violence erupted in Rakhine in 2012. Rohingya activist Mohammad Zubair told AFP that "Rohingya people will never agree to voluntary repatriation if they are not taken back to their villages and their land returned to them". He said Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a similar repatriation agreement in 1992, which led to the return of some 200,000 Rohingya to Rakhine, but unresolved problems, including the issue of citizenship, continue to fester. The stateless Rohingya have been systematically oppressed by Myanmar, which has stripped the minority of citizenship and severely restricts their movement, as well as their access to basic services. Myanmar`s government says Rohingya are interlopers from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, even though many can trace their roots in Myanmar back generations. "Unless we get citizenship in Myanmar, no way the Rohingya will this time return to Rakhine," Zubair said. UNHCR has echoed the concerns of the Rohingya, saying all returns must include "the informed consent of refugees". According to the agreement, some 700,000 Rohingyas who have fled to Bangladesh since October 2016 will be considered for repatriation. But that still leaves hundreds of thousands of Rohingya - some of whom fled Myanmar years or decades ago - in Bangladesh. "The repatriation of residents who crossed over to Bangladesh earlier will be considered separately on the conclusion of the present arrangement," the newly-signed deal said. Impoverished and overcrowded Bangladesh has won international praise for allowing the refugees into the country, but has imposed restrictions on their movement and said it does not want them to stay. The new agreement has already drawn criticism at home, with the main opposition party saying "taking steps to repatriate Rohingyas without stopping repression and genocide in their homeland will be tantamount to pushing them to the hell".

Rohingya to stay in temporary shelters after return from Myanmar

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to take help from the UN&nbsp;refugee agency to safely repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who had fled violence in Myanmar, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali said on Saturday.

More than 600,000 Rohingya sought sanctuary in Bangladesh after the military in mostly Buddhist Myanmar launched a brutal counter-insurgency operation in their villages across the northern parts of Rakhine State following attacks by Rohingya militants on an army base and police posts on Aug. 25.

Faced with a burgeoning humanitarian crisis, the two governments signed a pact on Thursday agreeing that the return of the Rohingya to Myanmar should start in two months.

Uncertainty over whether the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would have a role had prompted rights groups to insist that outside monitors were needed to safeguard the Rohingya&#39;s return.

Addressing a news conference in Dhaka, the Bangladesh foreign minister gave assurances that the UNHCR would play some part.

&quot;Both countries agreed to take help from the UNHCR in the Rohingya repatriation process,&quot; Ali said. &quot;Myanmar will take its assistance as per their requirement.&quot;

The diplomatic breakthrough&nbsp;came just ahead of a visit by Pope Francis to Myanmar and Bangladesh on Nov. 26 to Dec. 2 that is aimed at promoting &quot;reconciliation, forgiveness and peace&quot;. [nL8N1NS2HN]

While the violence in Rakhine has mostly ceased, Rohingya have continued to stream out of Myanmar, saying they have largely lost access to sources of livelihood such as their farms, fisheries and markets.

Thousands of Rohingya, most of them old people, women and children, remain stranded on beaches near the border, waiting for a boat to take them to Bangladesh.

From camp to camp

Ali said a joint working group, to be formed within three weeks, will fix the final terms to start the repatriation process.

After leaving the refugee camps in Bangladesh, Rohingya who opt to be voluntarily repatriated will be moved to makeshift camps in Myanmar near to their abandoned homes, he added.

&quot;Homes have been burnt to the ground in Rakhine, that need to be rebuilt. We have proposed Myanmar to take help from India and&nbsp;China&nbsp;for building camps for them,&quot; the minister said.

The U.N. and United States have described the Myanmar military&#39;s actions as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;, and rights groups have accused the security forces of committing atrocities, including mass rape, arson and killings.

The United States also warned it could impose sanctions on individuals responsible for alleged abuses.

Led by Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar is in the early stages of a transition to democracy after decades of military rule. But civilian government is less than two years old, and still shares power with the generals, who retain autonomy over matters of defence, security and borders.

The commander of Myanmar&#39;s armed forces, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has denied that soldiers committed any atrocities.

On Friday he met with&nbsp;China&#39;s President Xi Jinping in Beijing having been told earlier in the week by a top Chinese general that&nbsp;China&nbsp;wanted stronger ties with Myanmar&#39;s military.

Under the deal struck with Bangladesh, Myanmar will take measures to see that the returnees will not be settled in temporary places for a long time and Myanmar will issue them an identity card for national verification immediately on their return.

There were already nearly 400,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh before the latest exodus, and the Bangladesh minister said they could also be considered for the repatriation, under the terms of the agreement.

Some independent estimates suggest there were still a few hundred thousand Rohingya remaining in Rakhine.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to take help from the UN?refugee agency to safely repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who had fled violence in Myanmar, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali said on Saturday

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to take help from the UN refugee agency to safely repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who had fled violence in Myanmar, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali said on Saturday. More than 600,000 Rohingya sought sanctuary in Bangladesh after the military in mostly Buddhist Myanmar launched a brutal counter-insurgency operation in their villages across the northern parts of Rakhine State following attacks by Rohingya militants on an army base and police posts on Aug. 25. Faced with a burgeoning humanitarian crisis, the two governments signed a pact on Thursday agreeing that the return of the Rohingya to Myanmar should start in two months. Uncertainty over whether the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would have a role had prompted rights groups to insist that outside monitors were needed to safeguard the Rohingya's return. Addressing a news conference in Dhaka, the Bangladesh foreign minister gave assurances that the UNHCR would play some part. "Both countries agreed to take help from the UNHCR in the Rohingya repatriation process," Ali said. "Myanmar will take its assistance as per their requirement." The diplomatic breakthrough came just ahead of a visit by Pope Francis to Myanmar and Bangladesh on Nov. 26 to Dec. 2 that is aimed at promoting "reconciliation, forgiveness and peace". [nL8N1NS2HN] While the violence in Rakhine has mostly ceased, Rohingya have continued to stream out of Myanmar, saying they have largely lost access to sources of livelihood such as their farms, fisheries and markets. Thousands of Rohingya, most of them old people, women and children, remain stranded on beaches near the border, waiting for a boat to take them to Bangladesh. From camp to camp Ali said a joint working group, to be formed within three weeks, will fix the final terms to start the repatriation process. After leaving the refugee camps in Bangladesh, Rohingya who opt to be voluntarily repatriated will be moved to makeshift camps in Myanmar near to their abandoned homes, he added. "Homes have been burnt to the ground in Rakhine, that need to be rebuilt. We have proposed Myanmar to take help from India and China for building camps for them," the minister said. The U.N. and United States have described the Myanmar military's actions as "ethnic cleansing", and rights groups have accused the security forces of committing atrocities, including mass rape, arson and killings. The United States also warned it could impose sanctions on individuals responsible for alleged abuses. Led by Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar is in the early stages of a transition to democracy after decades of military rule. But civilian government is less than two years old, and still shares power with the generals, who retain autonomy over matters of defence, security and borders. The commander of Myanmar's armed forces, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has denied that soldiers committed any atrocities. On Friday he met with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing having been told earlier in the week by a top Chinese general that China wanted stronger ties with Myanmar's military. Under the deal struck with Bangladesh, Myanmar will take measures to see that the returnees will not be settled in temporary places for a long time and Myanmar will issue them an identity card for national verification immediately on their return. There were already nearly 400,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh before the latest exodus, and the Bangladesh minister said they could also be considered for the repatriation, under the terms of the agreement. Some independent estimates suggest there were still a few hundred thousand Rohingya remaining in Rakhine.

Bangladesh says agreed with Myanmar for UNHCR to assist Rohingya's return

It&rsquo;s apparently premature, yet 2019 election talks have already started in Bangladesh and almost surely election fever will grip the country from early next year. There are reasons for this early election enthusiasm and the chief of which is that, the 2014 election was a one-sided affair without BNP, the main Opposition party, and that too with extremely low voter&rsquo;s turn out. There is interest and urge for a proper election in the general populace, media and civil society.

Under the current circumstances, the vital question though is whether the next one will be an all-inclusive and fair one and whether the incumbent Awami League (AL) is ready for that. It seems that the main Opposition, although out of the parliament now, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will participate in the next election with or without a neutral caretaker government, upon the demand of which they boycotted the last one. But, if there is another one-sided election or if a rigged election is on the cards, what will be the outcome of that domestically and internationally?

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<h5>BNP tried to launch a popular agitation after 2014, sometimes with violence, but the AL government shrewdly suppressed it.</h5>
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Awami League&rsquo;s political legitimacy in its second of these two consecutive terms came under scrutiny because of the questionable validity of the 2014 election. Many analysts have commented that there is a sense of a lack of accountability and bad governance, stemming from that dubious mandate. BNP tried to launch a popular agitation after 2014, sometimes with violence, but the AL government shrewdly suppressed it.

BNP learned the limit of its cadre power and now a tamed BNP is looking forward to the election and its political survival.&nbsp;Although the BNP still seems to have a considerable popular base, it failed&nbsp;due to its organisational and motivational weakness, to bring people on the streets and organise mass agitation to force the government for an early or midterm poll. AL political cadres on the streets and the police together suppressed their attempt fairly easily.

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<h5>In Bangladesh, people are more concerned now about a proper election first and then it&rsquo;s possible outcome.</h5>
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But in Bangladesh, people are more concerned now about a proper election first and then about it&rsquo;s outcome. Performance wise, the AL government, by and large, maintained the momentum of moderate economic growth that had been there in Bangladesh for the last couple of decades. It delivered, in a big way, on its election promise of completing the trial of the war criminals of 1971 and, in the process, the leadership of the Jamaat-e-Islami. Thus, a considerable political force and ally of BNP was eliminated. This party is also in disarray and it seems unlikely that they will be participating in the next election pending a possible ban on them.

The AL government came hard on the radical Islamists fractions in Bangladesh after the July terror attack in Dhaka in 2016. The government tends to project itself to the West and India as the true demolisher of Islamic radicalism in Bangladesh. However, it&rsquo;s not clear whether the key western countries upon whom Bangladesh&rsquo;s vital exports depend will accept another 2014 style one-sided election.

BNP meanwhile was trying to convince the West and India that it&rsquo;s not sympathetic to Islamic radicals, and there is no danger of the spread of Islamic militancy if they come to power. It also tries to assure India that if it comes to power in Bangladesh insurgents of India&rsquo;s northeast will have no passage or sanctuary in Bangladesh. BNP believes that Indian support helped the post-2014 AL government to gain recognition in the international arena.

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<h5>Bangladesh is in incertitude now and its pretty difficult to predict the country&rsquo;s political course.</h5>
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Bangladesh is in incertitude now and its pretty difficult to predict the country&rsquo;s political course. If there are enough genuine pressure from the EU, US, Gulf countries and, at least, a neutrality from India the Bangladesh government might have to shed any possibility of one-sided or rigged election. In that case, the government will be forced to negotiate with the Opposition to facilitate a free and fair election.

If the mentioned pressure is low from the quartet the probability of one-sided or rigged election might be on the cards. It&rsquo;s tough to predict what happens in case of a divided quartet. The danger would be heightened if there is no negotiation between the government and Opposition.&nbsp;In such scenario, the AL might have no other way but to try to cling on to power at any cost as they would fear hostile reprisal from much oppressed BNP in any possibility of the latter&rsquo;s coming to power. But if the AL try this and fail, the fall could be big and costly. Bangladesh has a bloody and tumultuous past.

Such uncertainty is bad for a reasonably large country of 165 million that has high potential under a stable condition. There could also be some considerable spillover effect in the region in case things go grossly wrong in Bangladesh. The commoners in Bangladesh expect that all key stakeholders should apply their prudence and good judgment for the greater and collective well being the country and its people.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

In Bangladesh, a genuine election is necessary for the greater and collective well being the country and its people

It’s apparently premature, yet 2019 election talks have already started in Bangladesh and almost surely election fever will grip the country from early next year. There are reasons for this early election enthusiasm and the chief of which is that, the 2014 election was a one-sided affair without BNP, the main Opposition party, and that too with extremely low voter’s turn out. There is interest and urge for a proper election in the general populace, media and civil society. Under the current circumstances, the vital question though is whether the next one will be an all-inclusive and fair one and whether the incumbent Awami League (AL) is ready for that. It seems that the main Opposition, although out of the parliament now, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will participate in the next election with or without a neutral caretaker government, upon the demand of which they boycotted the last one. But, if there is another one-sided election or if a rigged election is on the cards, what will be the outcome of that domestically and internationally? BNP tried to launch a popular agitation after 2014, sometimes with violence, but the AL government shrewdly suppressed it. × Awami League’s political legitimacy in its second of these two consecutive terms came under scrutiny because of the questionable validity of the 2014 election. Many analysts have commented that there is a sense of a lack of accountability and bad governance, stemming from that dubious mandate. BNP tried to launch a popular agitation after 2014, sometimes with violence, but the AL government shrewdly suppressed it. BNP learned the limit of its cadre power and now a tamed BNP is looking forward to the election and its political survival. Although the BNP still seems to have a considerable popular base, it failed due to its organisational and motivational weakness, to bring people on the streets and organise mass agitation to force the government for an early or midterm poll. AL political cadres on the streets and the police together suppressed their attempt fairly easily. In Bangladesh, people are more concerned now about a proper election first and then it’s possible outcome. × But in Bangladesh, people are more concerned now about a proper election first and then about it’s outcome. Performance wise, the AL government, by and large, maintained the momentum of moderate economic growth that had been there in Bangladesh for the last couple of decades. It delivered, in a big way, on its election promise of completing the trial of the war criminals of 1971 and, in the process, the leadership of the Jamaat-e-Islami. Thus, a considerable political force and ally of BNP was eliminated. This party is also in disarray and it seems unlikely that they will be participating in the next election pending a possible ban on them. The AL government came hard on the radical Islamists fractions in Bangladesh after the July terror attack in Dhaka in 2016. The government tends to project itself to the West and India as the true demolisher of Islamic radicalism in Bangladesh. However, it’s not clear whether the key western countries upon whom Bangladesh’s vital exports depend will accept another 2014 style one-sided election. BNP meanwhile was trying to convince the West and India that it’s not sympathetic to Islamic radicals, and there is no danger of the spread of Islamic militancy if they come to power. It also tries to assure India that if it comes to power in Bangladesh insurgents of India’s northeast will have no passage or sanctuary in Bangladesh. BNP believes that Indian support helped the post-2014 AL government to gain recognition in the international arena. Bangladesh is in incertitude now and its pretty difficult to predict the country’s political course. × Bangladesh is in incertitude now and its pretty difficult to predict the country’s political course. If there are enough genuine pressure from the EU, US, Gulf countries and, at least, a neutrality from India the Bangladesh government might have to shed any possibility of one-sided or rigged election. In that case, the government will be forced to negotiate with the Opposition to facilitate a free and fair election. If the mentioned pressure is low from the quartet the probability of one-sided or rigged election might be on the cards. It’s tough to predict what happens in case of a divided quartet. The danger would be heightened if there is no negotiation between the government and Opposition. In such scenario, the AL might have no other way but to try to cling on to power at any cost as they would fear hostile reprisal from much oppressed BNP in any possibility of the latter’s coming to power. But if the AL try this and fail, the fall could be big and costly. Bangladesh has a bloody and tumultuous past. Such uncertainty is bad for a reasonably large country of 165 million that has high potential under a stable condition. There could also be some considerable spillover effect in the region in case things go grossly wrong in Bangladesh. The commoners in Bangladesh expect that all key stakeholders should apply their prudence and good judgment for the greater and collective well being the country and its people. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Bad governance and rigged elections in Bangladesh

The US&nbsp;labeling of a Myanmar army crackdown on Rohingya Muslims as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; is unhelpful and could aggravate the situation, Russia&#39;s ambassador to the southeast Asian nation said on Thursday, criticising &quot;excessive external intervention&quot;.

Rights groups have accused the military in mostly Buddhist Myanmar of carrying out mass rape and other atrocities during a ferocious military sweep launched in late August in retaliation for attacks by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/fires-rage-in-rakhine-as-myanmar-army-blames-rohingya-for-mosque-blast-20550">Rohingya Muslim militants in Rakhine State</a>.

That drove 620,000 Rohingya refugees, many traumatized with gunshot wounds and burns, to flee to Bangladesh, joining hundreds of thousands who have sheltered there for years after previous spasms of violence in the former Burma.

The military operation amounted to &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;, the United States said on Wednesday, echoing an accusation first made by top UN&nbsp;officials in the early days of the humanitarian crisis.

&quot;I don&#39;t think that it will help to solve this problem,&quot; Russian ambassador Nikolay Listopadov told Reuters in an interview in Yangon, when asked about the US&nbsp;move.

&quot;On the contrary, it can aggravate the situation, throw more fuel,&quot; he said in English, citing concern over how the Buddhist community in Rakhine would react to such a designation.

This month, Russia and China agreed to a UN&nbsp;Security Council statement urging Myanmar to &quot;ensure no further excessive use of military force&quot; and expressing &quot;grave concern over reports of human rights violations&quot;, but they have opposed tougher steps and further pressure on Myanmar.

&quot;We are against excessive external intervention, because it won&#39;t lead to any constructive results,&quot; Listopadov said. &quot;Just pressure and blaming and accusing - it simply won&#39;t work.&quot;

On a visit to Myanmar last week, US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi to lead a credible and impartial inquiry, saying those who committed abuses should be held responsible.

But prospects for such an inquiry remain dim and Suu Kyi&#39;s government refused to cooperate with a mission launched by the United Nations Human Rights Council in March after a less intense bout of violence in Rakhine.

The &quot;so-called independent investigation&quot; demanded by Tillerson was &quot;absolutely&quot; out of the question for Myanmar, Listopadov said.

&quot;It&#39;s absolutely not acceptable for the Myanmar side - it will never accept it...it won&#39;t work - it&#39;s counterproductive,&quot; said Listopadov. &quot;Independent investigation means international (investigation) - no, it&#39;s not acceptable.&quot;

Moscow&#39;s approach was for the Rakhine issue to be solved by &quot;political means, political dialogue,&quot; he added, without elaborating.

He welcomed talks being held in Myanmar&#39;s capital of Naypyitaw between Myanmar and Bangladesh on the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, stressing it was &quot;important to start this process.&quot;

&quot;We wish them success,&quot; said Listopadov, &quot;this complicated Rakhine issue can be solved mostly only by negotiations and agreements between the two sides, because they&#39;re the most involved,&quot; he said, referring to Bangladesh and Myanmar.

China wants closer ties with Myanmar&#39;s military to help protect regional peace and security, a senior Chinese general told the visiting head of the southeast Asian country&#39;s army this week.

The accusation had also been made by the United Nations

The US labeling of a Myanmar army crackdown on Rohingya Muslims as "ethnic cleansing" is unhelpful and could aggravate the situation, Russia's ambassador to the southeast Asian nation said on Thursday, criticising "excessive external intervention". Rights groups have accused the military in mostly Buddhist Myanmar of carrying out mass rape and other atrocities during a ferocious military sweep launched in late August in retaliation for attacks by Rohingya Muslim militants in Rakhine State. That drove 620,000 Rohingya refugees, many traumatized with gunshot wounds and burns, to flee to Bangladesh, joining hundreds of thousands who have sheltered there for years after previous spasms of violence in the former Burma. The military operation amounted to "ethnic cleansing", the United States said on Wednesday, echoing an accusation first made by top UN officials in the early days of the humanitarian crisis. "I don't think that it will help to solve this problem," Russian ambassador Nikolay Listopadov told Reuters in an interview in Yangon, when asked about the US move. "On the contrary, it can aggravate the situation, throw more fuel," he said in English, citing concern over how the Buddhist community in Rakhine would react to such a designation. This month, Russia and China agreed to a UN Security Council statement urging Myanmar to "ensure no further excessive use of military force" and expressing "grave concern over reports of human rights violations", but they have opposed tougher steps and further pressure on Myanmar. "We are against excessive external intervention, because it won't lead to any constructive results," Listopadov said. "Just pressure and blaming and accusing - it simply won't work." On a visit to Myanmar last week, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi to lead a credible and impartial inquiry, saying those who committed abuses should be held responsible. But prospects for such an inquiry remain dim and Suu Kyi's government refused to cooperate with a mission launched by the United Nations Human Rights Council in March after a less intense bout of violence in Rakhine. The "so-called independent investigation" demanded by Tillerson was "absolutely" out of the question for Myanmar, Listopadov said. "It's absolutely not acceptable for the Myanmar side - it will never accept it...it won't work - it's counterproductive," said Listopadov. "Independent investigation means international (investigation) - no, it's not acceptable." Moscow's approach was for the Rakhine issue to be solved by "political means, political dialogue," he added, without elaborating. He welcomed talks being held in Myanmar's capital of Naypyitaw between Myanmar and Bangladesh on the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, stressing it was "important to start this process." "We wish them success," said Listopadov, "this complicated Rakhine issue can be solved mostly only by negotiations and agreements between the two sides, because they're the most involved," he said, referring to Bangladesh and Myanmar. China wants closer ties with Myanmar's military to help protect regional peace and security, a senior Chinese general told the visiting head of the southeast Asian country's army this week.

US calling Rohingya operation 'ethnic cleansing' unhelpful: Russian envoy

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Thursday for the return home of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled to the neighbouring country to escape a Myanmar army crackdown.

&quot;We are ready to take them back as soon as possible after Bangladesh sends the forms back to us,&quot; said Myint Kyaing, a permanent secretary at Myanmar&#39;s ministry of labour, immigration and population, referring to registration forms the Rohingya must complete with personal details before repatriation.

Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi met Bangladesh foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on Thursday ahead of the signing.

Suu Kyi, whose reputation as a Nobel peace prize winner has suffered during the crisis, has said repatriation of the largely stateless Muslim minority would be based on residency and that it will be &ldquo;safe and voluntary&rdquo;.

Rights groups have accused the military of mostly Buddhist Myanmar of carrying out mass rape and other atrocities during a counter-insurgency operation launched in late August in retaliation for attacks by Rohingya militants in Rakhine State.

On Wednesday, the United States said the military operation that drove 620,000 Rohingya to seek sanctuary in neighbouring, largely Muslim Bangladesh, amounted to &ldquo;ethnic cleansing&rdquo;, echoing an accusation first levelled by top U.N. officials in the early days of the humanitarian crisis. 
&nbsp;

'We are ready to take them back as soon as possible after Bangladesh sends the forms back to us,' said Myint Kyaing, a permanent secretary at Myanmar's ministry of labour, immigration and population

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Thursday for the return home of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled to the neighbouring country to escape a Myanmar army crackdown. "We are ready to take them back as soon as possible after Bangladesh sends the forms back to us," said Myint Kyaing, a permanent secretary at Myanmar's ministry of labour, immigration and population, referring to registration forms the Rohingya must complete with personal details before repatriation. Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi met Bangladesh foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on Thursday ahead of the signing. Suu Kyi, whose reputation as a Nobel peace prize winner has suffered during the crisis, has said repatriation of the largely stateless Muslim minority would be based on residency and that it will be “safe and voluntary”. Rights groups have accused the military of mostly Buddhist Myanmar of carrying out mass rape and other atrocities during a counter-insurgency operation launched in late August in retaliation for attacks by Rohingya militants in Rakhine State. On Wednesday, the United States said the military operation that drove 620,000 Rohingya to seek sanctuary in neighbouring, largely Muslim Bangladesh, amounted to “ethnic cleansing”, echoing an accusation first levelled by top U.N. officials in the early days of the humanitarian crisis.

Myanmar, Bangladesh sign Rohingya return deal

I was going to Rohingya refugee camps in Balukhali from Cox&rsquo;s town in a battery run three-wheeler locally called &ldquo;auto&rdquo;. Six people can commute in such vehicle. All my co-passengers were locals of this rural area, and it was understood from their discussion that they had no or primary level of education. Surprisingly, I found them discussing Rohingya crisis and the discussion included geopolitics in their own style. The driver of the three-wheeler also joined the discussion.

The time was early September. In the discussion, I found them to be very angry with China for its indirect support to Myanmar in the atrocities against Rohingya people. &ldquo; China er jonnoi Burma er ato sahosh barse&rdquo; was the gist of their discussion in Bangla meaning &ldquo;Myanmar is so arrogant for China&rsquo;s support&rdquo;.

A few days later when the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Myanmar and reportedly told Suu Kyi that India was with Myanmar, I witnessed how the anger against China just turned into anger against India. People were no longer concerned about China. It seemed to me that it was expected to them that China would side&nbsp;with Myanmar but they did not expect India to support Myanmar against Bangladesh.

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<h5>Anti-Chinese sentiment could have grown rapidly in Bangladesh due to China&rsquo;s continued support to Myanmar government as Rohingya sentiment has been very high in Muslim majority Bangladesh.</h5>
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The news that PM Modi said India was with Myanmar went viral on Bangladesh&rsquo;s social media. I found many people who were never critical of India were critical&nbsp;this time. Added to the injury, the BJP government also expressed their interest to deport Rohingya refugees who took shelter in India.

One Bangladeshi newspaper carried a report that some Rohingya refugees were pushed from India to Bangladesh through Satkhira border. There was a backlash in Bangladesh following this report. At the same time, in Assam, BJP reportedly carried out campaign to deport what they call &ldquo;illegal Bangladeshis&rdquo; there. There was an uproar in Bangladesh after local newspapers reported on this false claim of the Assam BJP.

And recently, when news circulated that India abstained from voting in a UN resolution on Rohingyas while Pakistan voted in favour of it, there was also uproar on Bangladeshi social media.

As I extensively covered Rohingya crisis and visited different parts of the country to work on varies reports in the last few weeks, it seemed to me that India missed an opportunity in the Rohingya crisis. Anti-Chinese sentiment could have grown rapidly in Bangladesh due to China&rsquo;s continued support to Myanmar government as Rohingya sentiment has been very high in Muslim majority Bangladesh. However, the wrong policy of the Modi government on the Rohingya issue has helped grow anti-Indian sentiment in Bangladesh instead.

There was another crucial aspect. The Bangladeshi Opposition parties have been criticising the government for putting all its eggs in one basket, i.e. depending on India in the foreign policy matters. When India turned its back on Bangladesh, during one of the biggest crises, the anti-Indian quarter got fuel and it is at all time high in Bangladesh.

There might be some equations of the Modi government to take this policy on Rohingya crisis. We have heard that this is due to India&rsquo;s &ldquo;Go East&rdquo; policy. The Modi government might have a fear that growing Chinese influence in East Asian nations might cause problems to India in the coming days and Myanmar is the gateway for India to establish ground in other East Asian nations.

It also might have fear about its North East and its huge investment in Rakhine state. China might be benefited in any tension between India and Myanmar. It has the real fear of insurgents in North East of India getting direct support from Myanmar.

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<h5>As India has strong influence both on Suu Kyi and her party and on Bangladesh, it could easily meditate the Rohingya crisis.</h5>
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However, the way Modi government dealt the crisis was a real disaster. Many Bangladeshis believe that the Modi government&rsquo;s Rohingya policy was the result of its anti-Muslim mindset. There were many discussions on different platforms in Bangladesh that India would not take the same policy if Rohingyas are not Muslims. Many also pointed out that the Modi government does not have the same policy for refugees of other religious groups like Tibetan and Tamil refugees.

As India has strong influence both on Suu Kyi and her party and on Bangladesh, it could easily meditate the Rohingya crisis. Even if it could not successful, any such attempt would help grow anti-Chinese sentiment in Bangladesh. However, siding with a country against a friendly nation who helped smashed insurgents in its North East can never constitute a smart foreign policy.

In my opinion, after Doklam crisis which alarmed Bhutan of its national security and forced it to rethink about its full dependency on India, the Rohingya crisis is another foreign policy mistake of the Modi government. I fear that these might be two historical mistakes for India. They have potentials to end India&rsquo;s strong influence on these two neighbouring nations.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

India missed an opportunity to win over Bangladesh from China by siding with Myanmar on Rohingya issue.

I was going to Rohingya refugee camps in Balukhali from Cox’s town in a battery run three-wheeler locally called “auto”. Six people can commute in such vehicle. All my co-passengers were locals of this rural area, and it was understood from their discussion that they had no or primary level of education. Surprisingly, I found them discussing Rohingya crisis and the discussion included geopolitics in their own style. The driver of the three-wheeler also joined the discussion. The time was early September. In the discussion, I found them to be very angry with China for its indirect support to Myanmar in the atrocities against Rohingya people. “ China er jonnoi Burma er ato sahosh barse” was the gist of their discussion in Bangla meaning “Myanmar is so arrogant for China’s support”. A few days later when the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Myanmar and reportedly told Suu Kyi that India was with Myanmar, I witnessed how the anger against China just turned into anger against India. People were no longer concerned about China. It seemed to me that it was expected to them that China would side with Myanmar but they did not expect India to support Myanmar against Bangladesh. Anti-Chinese sentiment could have grown rapidly in Bangladesh due to China’s continued support to Myanmar government as Rohingya sentiment has been very high in Muslim majority Bangladesh. × The news that PM Modi said India was with Myanmar went viral on Bangladesh’s social media. I found many people who were never critical of India were critical this time. Added to the injury, the BJP government also expressed their interest to deport Rohingya refugees who took shelter in India. One Bangladeshi newspaper carried a report that some Rohingya refugees were pushed from India to Bangladesh through Satkhira border. There was a backlash in Bangladesh following this report. At the same time, in Assam, BJP reportedly carried out campaign to deport what they call “illegal Bangladeshis” there. There was an uproar in Bangladesh after local newspapers reported on this false claim of the Assam BJP. And recently, when news circulated that India abstained from voting in a UN resolution on Rohingyas while Pakistan voted in favour of it, there was also uproar on Bangladeshi social media. As I extensively covered Rohingya crisis and visited different parts of the country to work on varies reports in the last few weeks, it seemed to me that India missed an opportunity in the Rohingya crisis. Anti-Chinese sentiment could have grown rapidly in Bangladesh due to China’s continued support to Myanmar government as Rohingya sentiment has been very high in Muslim majority Bangladesh. However, the wrong policy of the Modi government on the Rohingya issue has helped grow anti-Indian sentiment in Bangladesh instead. There was another crucial aspect. The Bangladeshi Opposition parties have been criticising the government for putting all its eggs in one basket, i.e. depending on India in the foreign policy matters. When India turned its back on Bangladesh, during one of the biggest crises, the anti-Indian quarter got fuel and it is at all time high in Bangladesh. There might be some equations of the Modi government to take this policy on Rohingya crisis. We have heard that this is due to India’s “Go East” policy. The Modi government might have a fear that growing Chinese influence in East Asian nations might cause problems to India in the coming days and Myanmar is the gateway for India to establish ground in other East Asian nations. It also might have fear about its North East and its huge investment in Rakhine state. China might be benefited in any tension between India and Myanmar. It has the real fear of insurgents in North East of India getting direct support from Myanmar. As India has strong influence both on Suu Kyi and her party and on Bangladesh, it could easily meditate the Rohingya crisis. × However, the way Modi government dealt the crisis was a real disaster. Many Bangladeshis believe that the Modi government’s Rohingya policy was the result of its anti-Muslim mindset. There were many discussions on different platforms in Bangladesh that India would not take the same policy if Rohingyas are not Muslims. Many also pointed out that the Modi government does not have the same policy for refugees of other religious groups like Tibetan and Tamil refugees. As India has strong influence both on Suu Kyi and her party and on Bangladesh, it could easily meditate the Rohingya crisis. Even if it could not successful, any such attempt would help grow anti-Chinese sentiment in Bangladesh. However, siding with a country against a friendly nation who helped smashed insurgents in its North East can never constitute a smart foreign policy. In my opinion, after Doklam crisis which alarmed Bhutan of its national security and forced it to rethink about its full dependency on India, the Rohingya crisis is another foreign policy mistake of the Modi government. I fear that these might be two historical mistakes for India. They have potentials to end India’s strong influence on these two neighbouring nations. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: India missed an opportunity to counter China on Rohingyas

&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t say whether it has happened or not. As a responsibility of the government, we have to make sure that it won&rsquo;t happen,&rdquo; Suu Kyi told reporters in response to a question about human rights violations at the end of a meeting of senior officials at an Asia-Europe Meeting, or ASEM, in Myanmar&rsquo;s capital Naypyitaw.

Her less than two-year old civilian government has faced heavy international criticism for its response to the crisis, though it has no control over the generals it has to share power with under Myanmar&rsquo;s transition to power after decades of military rule.

Turning to the question of repatriation of Rohingya, Suu Kyi said discussions would be held with the Bangladesh foreign minister on Wednesday and Thursday. Officials from both countries began discussions last month on how to process applications by Rohingya wanting to return to Myanmar.

&ldquo;We hope that this would result in an MOU signed quickly, which would enable us to start the safe and voluntarily return of all of those who have gone across the border,&rdquo; Suu Kyi said.

The Nobel laureate did not use the term &ldquo;Rohingya&rdquo;. Myanmar rejects the use of the term for the Muslim minority, which is not on an official list of the country&rsquo;s ethnic groups.

The Rohingya are largely stateless and many people in Myanmar view them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Suu Kyi said Myanmar would follow the framework of an agreement reached in the 1990s to cover the earlier repatriation of Rohingya, who had fled to Bangladesh to escape previous bouts of ethnic violence.

That agreement did not address the citizenship status of Rohingya, and Bangladesh has been pressing for a repatriation process that provided Rohingya with more safeguards this time.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s on the basis of residency...this was agreed by the two governments a long time ago with success, so this will be the formula we will continue to follow,&rdquo; she said.

Earlier talks between the two countries reached a broad agreement to work out a repatriation deal, but a senior Myanmar official later accused Bangladesh of dragging its feet in order to secure funding from aid agencies for hosting the refugees.

It was hard to tell exactly how close Myanmar and Bangladesh were to an agreement, Suu Kyi said.

Suu Kyi, Myanmar&rsquo;s state counsellor and foreign affairs minister, said the country was doing everything it could to &ldquo;make sure security is maintained&rdquo; in Rakhine, but warned that &ldquo;it takes time&rdquo; to resolve the issues there.

It was unclear, however, whether a safe return was possible, or advisable, for the thousands of Rohingya women and children still stranded on the beaches trying to flee hunger and instability in Rakhine.

Myanmar intends to resettle most refugees who return in new &ldquo;model villages&rdquo;, rather than on the land they previously occupied, an approach the United Nations has criticized in the past as effectively creating permanent camps.

Suu Kyi said discussions would be held with the Bangladesh foreign minister on Wednesday and Thursday. Officials from both countries began discussions last month on how to process applications by Rohingya wanting to return to Myanmar

“We can’t say whether it has happened or not. As a responsibility of the government, we have to make sure that it won’t happen,” Suu Kyi told reporters in response to a question about human rights violations at the end of a meeting of senior officials at an Asia-Europe Meeting, or ASEM, in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw. Her less than two-year old civilian government has faced heavy international criticism for its response to the crisis, though it has no control over the generals it has to share power with under Myanmar’s transition to power after decades of military rule. Turning to the question of repatriation of Rohingya, Suu Kyi said discussions would be held with the Bangladesh foreign minister on Wednesday and Thursday. Officials from both countries began discussions last month on how to process applications by Rohingya wanting to return to Myanmar. “We hope that this would result in an MOU signed quickly, which would enable us to start the safe and voluntarily return of all of those who have gone across the border,” Suu Kyi said. The Nobel laureate did not use the term “Rohingya”. Myanmar rejects the use of the term for the Muslim minority, which is not on an official list of the country’s ethnic groups. The Rohingya are largely stateless and many people in Myanmar view them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Suu Kyi said Myanmar would follow the framework of an agreement reached in the 1990s to cover the earlier repatriation of Rohingya, who had fled to Bangladesh to escape previous bouts of ethnic violence. That agreement did not address the citizenship status of Rohingya, and Bangladesh has been pressing for a repatriation process that provided Rohingya with more safeguards this time. “It’s on the basis of residency...this was agreed by the two governments a long time ago with success, so this will be the formula we will continue to follow,” she said. Earlier talks between the two countries reached a broad agreement to work out a repatriation deal, but a senior Myanmar official later accused Bangladesh of dragging its feet in order to secure funding from aid agencies for hosting the refugees. It was hard to tell exactly how close Myanmar and Bangladesh were to an agreement, Suu Kyi said. Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s state counsellor and foreign affairs minister, said the country was doing everything it could to “make sure security is maintained” in Rakhine, but warned that “it takes time” to resolve the issues there. It was unclear, however, whether a safe return was possible, or advisable, for the thousands of Rohingya women and children still stranded on the beaches trying to flee hunger and instability in Rakhine. Myanmar intends to resettle most refugees who return in new “model villages”, rather than on the land they previously occupied, an approach the United Nations has criticized in the past as effectively creating permanent camps.

Myanmar hopes for talks with Bangladesh this week: Suu Kyi

Myanmar&#39;s new leader forged diplomatic ties with the Vatican in May, but little did anyone know that six months down the line, those new relations would be the source of tension and international attention.

Pope Francis is due to make his first-ever visit to Myanmar and will be meeting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, senior officials and the Catholic community amid a refugee crisis which has seen more than 600,000 Rohingyas fled across the border into Bangladesh since an August attack.

Given the sensitivity of the issue, Francis&#39; trip is expected to gain much limelight on what he chooses to do or say.

&quot;So, the Pope is not going to hold back on saying what he feels and what he thinks. But on the other hand, he doesn&#39;t then want his presence in Myanmar to create difficulties for the people themselves, in this case, specifically for the Rohingya,&quot; said Reuters&#39; Vatican correspondent, Philip Pullella, adding that the Pope must tread carefully to make sure he does not upset relations between the Holy-See and Myanmar.

Pullella said the Pope has been advised by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon, to avoid using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; while in Myanmar. Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar rejects the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; and does not recognise them as citizens nor as an ethnic group in their own right.

The Pope, a less predictable figure than his predecessors, has used the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; before to address the Muslim minority, which is also widely used by the international community such as the United Nations and the United States.

Roman Catholics make up a tiny minority in Myanmar of around 700,000 from among a population of more than 51 million.

Meanwhile, in Cox&#39;s Bazar the Pope is literally unknown. The hundreds of thousands of refugees have little information or interest in the inter-faith diplomacy going on in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Their main concerns are getting enough food for the day as their numbers continue to grow and as more make the perilous journey to cross the border.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pope Francis is due to make his first-ever visit to Myanmar and will be meeting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar's new leader forged diplomatic ties with the Vatican in May, but little did anyone know that six months down the line, those new relations would be the source of tension and international attention. Pope Francis is due to make his first-ever visit to Myanmar and will be meeting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, senior officials and the Catholic community amid a refugee crisis which has seen more than 600,000 Rohingyas fled across the border into Bangladesh since an August attack. Given the sensitivity of the issue, Francis' trip is expected to gain much limelight on what he chooses to do or say. "So, the Pope is not going to hold back on saying what he feels and what he thinks. But on the other hand, he doesn't then want his presence in Myanmar to create difficulties for the people themselves, in this case, specifically for the Rohingya," said Reuters' Vatican correspondent, Philip Pullella, adding that the Pope must tread carefully to make sure he does not upset relations between the Holy-See and Myanmar. Pullella said the Pope has been advised by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon, to avoid using the term "Rohingya" while in Myanmar. Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar rejects the term "Rohingya" and does not recognise them as citizens nor as an ethnic group in their own right. The Pope, a less predictable figure than his predecessors, has used the term "Rohingya" before to address the Muslim minority, which is also widely used by the international community such as the United Nations and the United States. Roman Catholics make up a tiny minority in Myanmar of around 700,000 from among a population of more than 51 million. Meanwhile, in Cox's Bazar the Pope is literally unknown. The hundreds of thousands of refugees have little information or interest in the inter-faith diplomacy going on in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Their main concerns are getting enough food for the day as their numbers continue to grow and as more make the perilous journey to cross the border.

Pope heads to Myanmar, Bangladesh

Bangladesh police said on Monday that they would deport five Indians caught betting at a weekend cricket match as authorities crack down on illegal bookmaking in the lucrative domestic league.

The men were detained on Saturday at Dhaka`s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium during a one-day Bangladesh Premier League match, police added.&nbsp;

They were caught by cricket officials concerned about match-fixing and illegal gambling in the hugely popular league.&nbsp;

&quot;We have handed them over to police as this is the most we could do. They will take further action,&quot; said cricket board spokesman Jalal Yunus.

Two of the accused were previously caught betting during Bangladesh`s home series against England in October last year, he added.&nbsp;

Authorities were &quot;in the process of deporting them to India&quot;, said local police head, Nazrul Islam.

Gambling is illegal in Bangladesh but the cricket league has been dogged by betting scandals and its first two editions were marred by a match-fixing controversy&nbsp; involving players and team owners.

Last week nearly 80 spectators at two cricket grounds were thrown out on suspicion of betting. The alleged offenders -- including 10 Indians -- used mobile phones to place live bets before scores were broadcast on television and online.

A leading newspaper reported last week that betting on domestic cricket was rampant, with tea stalls, restaurants, and rickshaw garages doubling as venues to place bets.

The cricket board searches stadiums to catch gamblers but that has not stamped out the practice.Last year the country`s communications regulator blocked a dozen gaming websites in a bid to curb betting on cricket.

Nearly 50 foreign cricketers, including Sri Lanka`s Lasith Malinga, the West Indies` Chris Gayle, New Zealand`s Brendon McCullum and England`s Jos Buttler, are competing in the seven-team BPL tournament this year.

&nbsp;

The men were detained on Saturday at Dhaka`s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium during a one-day Bangladesh Premier League match?

Bangladesh police said on Monday that they would deport five Indians caught betting at a weekend cricket match as authorities crack down on illegal bookmaking in the lucrative domestic league. The men were detained on Saturday at Dhaka`s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium during a one-day Bangladesh Premier League match, police added. They were caught by cricket officials concerned about match-fixing and illegal gambling in the hugely popular league. "We have handed them over to police as this is the most we could do. They will take further action," said cricket board spokesman Jalal Yunus. Two of the accused were previously caught betting during Bangladesh`s home series against England in October last year, he added. Authorities were "in the process of deporting them to India", said local police head, Nazrul Islam. Gambling is illegal in Bangladesh but the cricket league has been dogged by betting scandals and its first two editions were marred by a match-fixing controversy involving players and team owners. Last week nearly 80 spectators at two cricket grounds were thrown out on suspicion of betting. The alleged offenders -- including 10 Indians -- used mobile phones to place live bets before scores were broadcast on television and online. A leading newspaper reported last week that betting on domestic cricket was rampant, with tea stalls, restaurants, and rickshaw garages doubling as venues to place bets. The cricket board searches stadiums to catch gamblers but that has not stamped out the practice.Last year the country`s communications regulator blocked a dozen gaming websites in a bid to curb betting on cricket. Nearly 50 foreign cricketers, including Sri Lanka`s Lasith Malinga, the West Indies` Chris Gayle, New Zealand`s Brendon McCullum and England`s Jos Buttler, are competing in the seven-team BPL tournament this year.

Bangladesh to deport five Indians for betting on cricket

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Bangladesh counterpart AH Mahmood Ali in Dhaka on Saturday to discuss Myanmar&#39;s ongoing refugee crisis.

The talks focused on finding a solution to the crisis and safe return of the forcibly displaced Myanmar refugees.

They also discussed humanitarian assistance and international support to Bangladesh.

China has urged all parties to maintain an objective attitude and expressed support for what it calls Myanmar&#39;s recent efforts to bring stability to the region.

Speaking to the press, the Chinese foreign minister said the turbulence in Myanmar has spread to Bangladesh and brought burden to it, yet Bangladesh has managed to provide humanitarian aid to the Rohingya people who have crossed the border into Bangladesh.

Till now Bangladesh has been providing shelter and humanitarian support to more than a million forcibly displaced Rohingyas. But the country needs the support of the world community.

The international community has lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government for the compassion and generosity shown to the Myanmar people seeking refuge in Bangladesh.

The Rohingya issue is a complicated one touching on history, ethnicity and religion, among others, thus it calls for a comprehensive solution.

According to a press release issued by the Bangladesh, this visit of five different foreign ministers would give a push to Bangladesh&#39;s diplomatic efforts, for early and sustainable return of the Rohingyas.

The visit by the foreign ministers reflects the support of the international community for Rohingyas. After the visit, the foreign ministers will travel to Myanmar to attend the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers&#39; Meeting.

The talks focused on finding a solution to the crisis and safe return of the forcibly displaced Myanmar refugees.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Bangladesh counterpart AH Mahmood Ali in Dhaka on Saturday to discuss Myanmar's ongoing refugee crisis. The talks focused on finding a solution to the crisis and safe return of the forcibly displaced Myanmar refugees. They also discussed humanitarian assistance and international support to Bangladesh. China has urged all parties to maintain an objective attitude and expressed support for what it calls Myanmar's recent efforts to bring stability to the region. Speaking to the press, the Chinese foreign minister said the turbulence in Myanmar has spread to Bangladesh and brought burden to it, yet Bangladesh has managed to provide humanitarian aid to the Rohingya people who have crossed the border into Bangladesh. Till now Bangladesh has been providing shelter and humanitarian support to more than a million forcibly displaced Rohingyas. But the country needs the support of the world community. The international community has lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government for the compassion and generosity shown to the Myanmar people seeking refuge in Bangladesh. The Rohingya issue is a complicated one touching on history, ethnicity and religion, among others, thus it calls for a comprehensive solution. According to a press release issued by the Bangladesh, this visit of five different foreign ministers would give a push to Bangladesh's diplomatic efforts, for early and sustainable return of the Rohingyas. The visit by the foreign ministers reflects the support of the international community for Rohingyas. After the visit, the foreign ministers will travel to Myanmar to attend the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Chinese foreign minister arrives in Bangladesh to discuss Rakhine refugees issue

A host of foreign ministers from Asia and Europe will descend on Bangladesh on Saturday&nbsp;for talks on the Rohingya refugee crisis that has left the impoverished nation reeling.

An estimated 618,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled mainly Buddhist Myanmar since a military crackdown was launched in Rakhine in August, which the United Nations and watchdogs have said amounts to ethnic cleansing.

The talks will discuss international support for Bangladesh, according to an EU statement.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali will take his counterparts from Germany, Sweden, and Japan, together with the European Union&#39;s diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, to the border town of Cox&#39;s Bazar Sunday to see the camps.

Refugees are penned inside vast, squalid camps, and UNICEF estimates that 25,000 children are suffering from severe malnutrition that could easily become a major killer.

Dhaka has prohibited the Rohingya from leaving the camps, fearing an influx in its bigger cities.

&quot;It is hoped that the visit will garner further international support for the Rohingya community,&quot; said a Bangladesh foreign ministry statement.

The ministers will also meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

China&#39;s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also arriving in Dhaka Saturday, although it is not clear whether he will travel to Cox&#39;s Bazar.

China is a key ally of Myanmar, which has faced intense international pressure over the Rohingya violence.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed in principle to begin repatriation of the Rohingya but are still tussling over the details.

Asian and European foreign ministers are due to meet in Myanmar on Monday and Tuesday.&nbsp;

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali will take his counterparts from Germany, Sweden and Japan, together with the European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, to the border town of Cox's Bazar Sunday to see the camps

A host of foreign ministers from Asia and Europe will descend on Bangladesh on Saturday for talks on the Rohingya refugee crisis that has left the impoverished nation reeling. An estimated 618,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled mainly Buddhist Myanmar since a military crackdown was launched in Rakhine in August, which the United Nations and watchdogs have said amounts to ethnic cleansing. The talks will discuss international support for Bangladesh, according to an EU statement. Bangladesh Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali will take his counterparts from Germany, Sweden, and Japan, together with the European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, to the border town of Cox's Bazar Sunday to see the camps. Refugees are penned inside vast, squalid camps, and UNICEF estimates that 25,000 children are suffering from severe malnutrition that could easily become a major killer. Dhaka has prohibited the Rohingya from leaving the camps, fearing an influx in its bigger cities. "It is hoped that the visit will garner further international support for the Rohingya community," said a Bangladesh foreign ministry statement. The ministers will also meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also arriving in Dhaka Saturday, although it is not clear whether he will travel to Cox's Bazar. China is a key ally of Myanmar, which has faced intense international pressure over the Rohingya violence. Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed in principle to begin repatriation of the Rohingya but are still tussling over the details. Asian and European foreign ministers are due to meet in Myanmar on Monday and Tuesday.

Asia, Europe foreign ministers to see Rohingya plight in Bangladesh

Rohingya refugees cannot return to Rakhine state until &quot;real Myanmar citizens&quot; are ready to accept them, the country`s army chief said Thursday, casting doubt over government pledges to begin repatriating the persecuted Muslim minority.

More than 600,000 Rohingya are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in late August.

The UN says the scorched-earth operation, which has left hundreds of villages burned to ash in northern Rakhine state, amounts to ethnic cleansing of the stateless minority.

But Myanmar&#39;s hardline army chief Min Aung Hlaing has steadfastly denied all allegations of abuse, insisting troops only targeted Rohingya insurgents.

He has also taken to Facebook throughout the crisis to fan anti-Rohingya sentiment among the Buddhist public, branding the Muslims as foreign interlopers from Bangladesh despite many having lived in Rakhine for generations.

On Thursday he signaled repatriation of the Rohingya was a long way off, saying their return must first be accepted by ethnic Rakhine Buddhists -- many of whom loathe the Muslim minority and are accused of aiding soldiers in torching their homes.

&quot;Emphasis must be placed on the wish of local Rakhine ethnic people who are real Myanmar citizens. Only when local Rakhine ethnic people accept it, will all the people satisfy it (sic),&quot; the statement, written in English, said on his Facebook page.&nbsp;

The army commander also said Myanmar would not allow the return of all Rohingya in Bangladesh, a country that was already hosting hundreds of thousands of the minority from previous waves of persecution.

&quot;It is impossible to accept the number of persons proposed by Bangladesh,&quot; the army statement said, after branding the refugees as &quot;terrorists&quot; who fled with their families.

The general`s comments came a day after he met with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who on Wednesday called on the army to support efforts to return &quot;all refugees&quot;, adding that the reports of widespread atrocities by Myanmar`s soldiers were &quot;credible&quot;.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed in principle to begin repatriation but are still tussling over the details.

Questions are mounting over how many Rohingya will be allowed to return, where they will live after they homes have been burned down and how they will coexist peacefully among ethnic Rakhine neighbors.

Tensions between the two groups have simmered for years, erupting into bouts of bloodshed in 2012 that pushed more than 100,000 Rohingya into grim displacement camps.

The Muslim minority has for years suffered under discrimination from a government that denies them citizenship and severely restricts their access to work, healthcare, and education.

'It is impossible to accept the number of persons proposed by Bangladesh,' the army chief said, after branding the refugees as 'terrorists' who fled with their families

Rohingya refugees cannot return to Rakhine state until "real Myanmar citizens" are ready to accept them, the country`s army chief said Thursday, casting doubt over government pledges to begin repatriating the persecuted Muslim minority. More than 600,000 Rohingya are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in late August. The UN says the scorched-earth operation, which has left hundreds of villages burned to ash in northern Rakhine state, amounts to ethnic cleansing of the stateless minority. But Myanmar's hardline army chief Min Aung Hlaing has steadfastly denied all allegations of abuse, insisting troops only targeted Rohingya insurgents. He has also taken to Facebook throughout the crisis to fan anti-Rohingya sentiment among the Buddhist public, branding the Muslims as foreign interlopers from Bangladesh despite many having lived in Rakhine for generations. On Thursday he signaled repatriation of the Rohingya was a long way off, saying their return must first be accepted by ethnic Rakhine Buddhists -- many of whom loathe the Muslim minority and are accused of aiding soldiers in torching their homes. "Emphasis must be placed on the wish of local Rakhine ethnic people who are real Myanmar citizens. Only when local Rakhine ethnic people accept it, will all the people satisfy it (sic)," the statement, written in English, said on his Facebook page. The army commander also said Myanmar would not allow the return of all Rohingya in Bangladesh, a country that was already hosting hundreds of thousands of the minority from previous waves of persecution. "It is impossible to accept the number of persons proposed by Bangladesh," the army statement said, after branding the refugees as "terrorists" who fled with their families. The general`s comments came a day after he met with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who on Wednesday called on the army to support efforts to return "all refugees", adding that the reports of widespread atrocities by Myanmar`s soldiers were "credible". Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed in principle to begin repatriation but are still tussling over the details. Questions are mounting over how many Rohingya will be allowed to return, where they will live after they homes have been burned down and how they will coexist peacefully among ethnic Rakhine neighbors. Tensions between the two groups have simmered for years, erupting into bouts of bloodshed in 2012 that pushed more than 100,000 Rohingya into grim displacement camps. The Muslim minority has for years suffered under discrimination from a government that denies them citizenship and severely restricts their access to work, healthcare, and education.

Rohingya can return only if Myanmar's 'real citizens' accept them: Army chief

The flight of the Rohingya people is an exodus of unprecedented scale and speed. Since August, over 600,000 refugees have fled Rakhine State in Myanmar. Around 300,000 of them are children, 20,000 who are completely alone, orphaned by the brutality of the Myanmar military. Every refugee has been driven by violence, terror and the threat of death. Loved ones have been lost along the way, homes destroyed, funeral pyres made of entire villages. Many of the people we spoke to told the same stories &mdash; throats slit, bodies burned (sometimes alive), women raped, neither children nor the elderly spared, with men at highest risk of brutal summary execution.

We saw the smoke rising from the burning villages near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. Bangladeshi locals told us they see about 20 such fires every day. I was accompanied by a remarkable photographer and campaigner, Shahidul Alam, with whom we had worked over many years on different and challenging issues &mdash; the stigma of HIV/AIDS, the impact of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake. I recently met up with him in London, and he shared with me his anger and anguish about the Rohingya who have found refuge in his country, Bangladesh. In his determination to focus attention on their suffering, to drive change and build support for these persecuted people in their exodus of pain, he asked if I would go with him and help in any way possible. I volunteered immediately, knowing that his understanding of the context in Bangladesh and his commitment to challenging injustice would bring a special energy and focus and that I would learn so much from him because we would be moving in very different circles to those I had experienced working with established international charities.

Through Shahidul I met a young journalist from Myanmar, who cannot be named for his protection. He explained that when land is burned, it reverts to government ownership, so it is no accident that torching is the favoured method of destruction in Rakhine State, where valuable minerals are ready for exploitation once the farmers have been scorched off their land, murdered or banished. The journalist also gave an explanation for the acceptance by so many people in Myanmar of the longstanding cruelty and discrimination inflicted on the Rohingya, with decades of dictatorship having blunted critical thinking and years of sanctions having poisoned trust in Western media. The people of Myanmar have become easy prey for propaganda by those in power, who still comprise many of the military figures from the dark days of the dictatorship, including some of the closest advisors at the highest level of Aung San Suu Kyi&rsquo;s government.

The consequences of this have been dire. In their flight, the Rohingya are leaving behind all they know and love. At the Balukhali camp in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar, a young woman said to me: &ldquo;I did not want to leave my home to come here. I had two cows and land, and now I have nothing.&rdquo; Looking at the rain-soaked bare earth, seeing her shivering, emaciated children, the prospect of returning to a life where she could milk her cows and tend to her crops seemed a distant dream.

The lost children

Walking through the sparkling green paddy fields near Teknaf, a small town on the river Naf that borders Myanmar, the calm swishing of the boats rowing downstream ushers in an awareness of the scale of what these Rohingya had lost and left behind: Homes, rivers to fish, fields to plough, animals to tend, space for children to play, and the friendship and comfort of families and neighbors. Standing atop an old Bangladeshi army watchtower, overlooking the burning villages across the water, no more than half a mile away, looking backward at the simple but peaceful villages of Cox&rsquo;s Bazar, you have a vivid sense of their past and their painful present &mdash; hungry, dislocated and alone, families separated in the flight or murdered before they escaped, villages broken up and social life destroyed. The most painful of all is to see the lost and frightened children in the camps. Even those who have not been orphaned or lost, they no longer have their smiles.

I saw a child of about age 3 piteously crying for his mother. I saw a mother crying for her lost children. Were they connected? Was the lost child hers? Perhaps. Perhaps not. The toddler had already disappeared into the chaos, and the woman was still looking for her children. Thankfully, Handicap International and other charities have set up projects to reunite loved ones &mdash; an immense job in the vast, overcrowded camps.

Later at the Sadar Hospital in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar, we met a woman named Senowara Begum. She had been shot three times and deeply traumatised by the loss of two of her three children, adding intolerable grief to the pain of her wounds.

At Tefnar, we met Abdul Basar, struggling with clumsy adult wooden crutches, his leg amputated after severe burns. His father was also injured and in a hospital far away, his mother died and his cousin Abdul Basar &mdash; just an inch taller and a year older &mdash; was the only person to care for him as he struggled to walk, his delicate face pinched with pain and anxiety.

Trauma trap

The logistical challenges of the makeshift camps are overwhelming. The tarpaulins have been hastily fixed to bamboo poles, the trees torn from the hills to make space, narrow, winding steps hacked into the sandy soil. Water flows over latrines, spreading the stench of sewage everywhere and with it the fatal risk of cholera, with other diseases like measles and polio waiting in the wings. There is a risk of a major setback to the advances fought so hard for in Bangladesh, which has managed to eradicate polio despite extreme poverty but is now facing the prospect of it returning with more pain and maiming. The lack of clean water, pollution and the urgent need for medical care and food is frightening. Even the most experienced aid workers have said that this is the worst refugee crisis they have ever seen.

After the flight to safety other terrors await:&nbsp;The risk of hunger, trafficking, loneliness, loss and death. Some of the sickest and most traumatically injured have managed to get to the hospital. The Sadar District Hospital in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar is overcrowded and short on both staff and medicine. The heroic health workers are doing their best to help. The resident medical officer, Dr. Shaheen Chowdury, has immaculate records of the injured and sick: gunshot wounds, burns, pneumonia, near drowning, obstructed labour. The hard journey and the camp conditions have taken their toll on the weakest and the most vulnerable.

Narshida, a lively young girl, no more than 10 years old, was smiling at us, glad of a break from her sad task of caring for her handsome young father as he lay immobile on a mattress on the floor, too weak to respond to his daughter&rsquo;s loving ministrations. As we left, she was carefully stroking his forehead. Fatima was cradling her tiny baby, delicately trying to encourage her little girl to eat. She had traveled for 20 days, and the journey had taken a terrible toll on her child&rsquo;s health.

Another father held his daughter, Nurkajol, who is only 9, in his arms, her broken leg immobilised, weighted by a simple plastic bottle filled with water to help the healing and prevent the pain. But on her face agony was vivid and present, her eyes listless, her limbs so thin and the trauma of her experience at the hands of the military an unwelcome and constant companion. Her father explained that when the military came and attacked their village, in the panic they lost Nurkajol. Then, before fleeing across the border, they crept back into the village and found her alone, a frail little girl that the military had beaten with their rifle butts.

The life force and curiosity of these children shine through the pain of their exile. In northern Rakhine State they suffered severe discrimination, having access to only the most minimal education, but right now there are thousands of children in these camps across Bangladesh with even fewer opportunities. Amidst the pressure of so many people and so many children, schooling has not yet been given priority. Education must be properly provided to help these children survive and thrive. In the chaos of the camps, this is a challenge, with so much else needing to be done. But these children are the future, and education can provide a way out of the trap of trauma.

Well-meaning, ill-advised

The government of Bangladesh has brought some order to the camps that have spontaneously sprung up, housing over 800,000 Rohingya. Longer-term plans being discussed by the government have suggested moving refugees off the hills to build a proper camp, but this presents a major logistical challenge. The Bangladeshi government and nongovernmental organisations are doing their best with the problematic geography of an unstable hilly environment, which makes it difficult to move people or services effectively and also makes the job of water engineers designing latrines and wells difficult.

The Bangladeshi military is also organising and building basic infrastructure and doing crowd control, which is badly needed when so many frightened people are trapped together in cramped conditions. Local and international organisations desperately need to scale up the relief effort, but the government needs to be assured that the organisations coming in are the right ones for the job.

Bangladeshi charities such as Brac are significant players, with a local and international presence, and other local charities are providing important services, including specialist help for those who have become overwhelmed by trauma. The clinical psychologists I met at a mental health service centre run by Gonoshasthaya Kendra, a local medical charity working in partnership with M&eacute;decins du Monde, said they believed everybody in the camp was traumatised. But they were only able to treat the very worst affected, like the young girl lying outside the tent clinic who had been rendered speechless by the violence she had witnessed and, in her torment, was violently attacking her own mother. She is only one of the endless thousands in need of mental-health assistance.

The United Kingdom has the advantage of the Disasters Emergency Committee that, when it comes to crises of this scale, enables a unified approach to raising funds and support by coordinating major charities like Oxfam, Care International, Concern, ActionAid, Islamic Relief and half a dozen other experienced organisations. Doctors Without Borders has set up clinics, and UN agencies are also on the ground in Bangladesh, but it still is not enough when the continuing exodus of pain is driving tens of thousands of new refugees every day into the already seriously overcrowded camps.

The logistics and transport links are a challenge. Well-meaning but ill-advised attempts to contribute have not helped: When we were there, the Rohingya were busy trying to clear endless piles of muddy and useless clothing that have been tossed out of the windows of passing cars by well-intentioned local people. A trampled sweater in the mud was a sad sign that expert help is needed, not woollen clothes in the brutal heat of the Asian summer.

The Rohingya have suffered decades of discrimination and stigma and have endured so much on their tortuous journey to safety. Just the other day I heard from the talented Bangladeshi photojournalist, Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan, who worked with us in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar, that he had been back to the border and was devastated to see those new refugees&nbsp;escaping the brutality in Myanmar were being prevented from entering Bangladesh. It is the duty of the international community, governments, national and international charities and all of us as citizens of the world to put our best efforts into helping the Rohingya and to raise our voices wherever we are to defend their right to return to their lost lives, lands and to a better future.

This <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/asia_pacific/rohingya-refugees-bangladesh-myanmar-crisis-news-10010/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a> has been originally published in <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">Fair Observer</a>

Image Credit:&nbsp;Shahidul Alam

There are close to a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh in desperate need of food, shelter and medical attention

The flight of the Rohingya people is an exodus of unprecedented scale and speed. Since August, over 600,000 refugees have fled Rakhine State in Myanmar. Around 300,000 of them are children, 20,000 who are completely alone, orphaned by the brutality of the Myanmar military. Every refugee has been driven by violence, terror and the threat of death. Loved ones have been lost along the way, homes destroyed, funeral pyres made of entire villages. Many of the people we spoke to told the same stories — throats slit, bodies burned (sometimes alive), women raped, neither children nor the elderly spared, with men at highest risk of brutal summary execution. We saw the smoke rising from the burning villages near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. Bangladeshi locals told us they see about 20 such fires every day. I was accompanied by a remarkable photographer and campaigner, Shahidul Alam, with whom we had worked over many years on different and challenging issues — the stigma of HIV/AIDS, the impact of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake. I recently met up with him in London, and he shared with me his anger and anguish about the Rohingya who have found refuge in his country, Bangladesh. In his determination to focus attention on their suffering, to drive change and build support for these persecuted people in their exodus of pain, he asked if I would go with him and help in any way possible. I volunteered immediately, knowing that his understanding of the context in Bangladesh and his commitment to challenging injustice would bring a special energy and focus and that I would learn so much from him because we would be moving in very different circles to those I had experienced working with established international charities. Through Shahidul I met a young journalist from Myanmar, who cannot be named for his protection. He explained that when land is burned, it reverts to government ownership, so it is no accident that torching is the favoured method of destruction in Rakhine State, where valuable minerals are ready for exploitation once the farmers have been scorched off their land, murdered or banished. The journalist also gave an explanation for the acceptance by so many people in Myanmar of the longstanding cruelty and discrimination inflicted on the Rohingya, with decades of dictatorship having blunted critical thinking and years of sanctions having poisoned trust in Western media. The people of Myanmar have become easy prey for propaganda by those in power, who still comprise many of the military figures from the dark days of the dictatorship, including some of the closest advisors at the highest level of Aung San Suu Kyi’s government. The consequences of this have been dire. In their flight, the Rohingya are leaving behind all they know and love. At the Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazar, a young woman said to me: “I did not want to leave my home to come here. I had two cows and land, and now I have nothing.” Looking at the rain-soaked bare earth, seeing her shivering, emaciated children, the prospect of returning to a life where she could milk her cows and tend to her crops seemed a distant dream. The lost children Walking through the sparkling green paddy fields near Teknaf, a small town on the river Naf that borders Myanmar, the calm swishing of the boats rowing downstream ushers in an awareness of the scale of what these Rohingya had lost and left behind: Homes, rivers to fish, fields to plough, animals to tend, space for children to play, and the friendship and comfort of families and neighbors. Standing atop an old Bangladeshi army watchtower, overlooking the burning villages across the water, no more than half a mile away, looking backward at the simple but peaceful villages of Cox’s Bazar, you have a vivid sense of their past and their painful present — hungry, dislocated and alone, families separated in the flight or murdered before they escaped, villages broken up and social life destroyed. The most painful of all is to see the lost and frightened children in the camps. Even those who have not been orphaned or lost, they no longer have their smiles. I saw a child of about age 3 piteously crying for his mother. I saw a mother crying for her lost children. Were they connected? Was the lost child hers? Perhaps. Perhaps not. The toddler had already disappeared into the chaos, and the woman was still looking for her children. Thankfully, Handicap International and other charities have set up projects to reunite loved ones — an immense job in the vast, overcrowded camps. Later at the Sadar Hospital in Cox’s Bazar, we met a woman named Senowara Begum. She had been shot three times and deeply traumatised by the loss of two of her three children, adding intolerable grief to the pain of her wounds. At Tefnar, we met Abdul Basar, struggling with clumsy adult wooden crutches, his leg amputated after severe burns. His father was also injured and in a hospital far away, his mother died and his cousin Abdul Basar — just an inch taller and a year older — was the only person to care for him as he struggled to walk, his delicate face pinched with pain and anxiety. Trauma trap The logistical challenges of the makeshift camps are overwhelming. The tarpaulins have been hastily fixed to bamboo poles, the trees torn from the hills to make space, narrow, winding steps hacked into the sandy soil. Water flows over latrines, spreading the stench of sewage everywhere and with it the fatal risk of cholera, with other diseases like measles and polio waiting in the wings. There is a risk of a major setback to the advances fought so hard for in Bangladesh, which has managed to eradicate polio despite extreme poverty but is now facing the prospect of it returning with more pain and maiming. The lack of clean water, pollution and the urgent need for medical care and food is frightening. Even the most experienced aid workers have said that this is the worst refugee crisis they have ever seen. After the flight to safety other terrors await: The risk of hunger, trafficking, loneliness, loss and death. Some of the sickest and most traumatically injured have managed to get to the hospital. The Sadar District Hospital in Cox’s Bazar is overcrowded and short on both staff and medicine. The heroic health workers are doing their best to help. The resident medical officer, Dr. Shaheen Chowdury, has immaculate records of the injured and sick: gunshot wounds, burns, pneumonia, near drowning, obstructed labour. The hard journey and the camp conditions have taken their toll on the weakest and the most vulnerable. Narshida, a lively young girl, no more than 10 years old, was smiling at us, glad of a break from her sad task of caring for her handsome young father as he lay immobile on a mattress on the floor, too weak to respond to his daughter’s loving ministrations. As we left, she was carefully stroking his forehead. Fatima was cradling her tiny baby, delicately trying to encourage her little girl to eat. She had traveled for 20 days, and the journey had taken a terrible toll on her child’s health. Another father held his daughter, Nurkajol, who is only 9, in his arms, her broken leg immobilised, weighted by a simple plastic bottle filled with water to help the healing and prevent the pain. But on her face agony was vivid and present, her eyes listless, her limbs so thin and the trauma of her experience at the hands of the military an unwelcome and constant companion. Her father explained that when the military came and attacked their village, in the panic they lost Nurkajol. Then, before fleeing across the border, they crept back into the village and found her alone, a frail little girl that the military had beaten with their rifle butts. The life force and curiosity of these children shine through the pain of their exile. In northern Rakhine State they suffered severe discrimination, having access to only the most minimal education, but right now there are thousands of children in these camps across Bangladesh with even fewer opportunities. Amidst the pressure of so many people and so many children, schooling has not yet been given priority. Education must be properly provided to help these children survive and thrive. In the chaos of the camps, this is a challenge, with so much else needing to be done. But these children are the future, and education can provide a way out of the trap of trauma. Well-meaning, ill-advised The government of Bangladesh has brought some order to the camps that have spontaneously sprung up, housing over 800,000 Rohingya. Longer-term plans being discussed by the government have suggested moving refugees off the hills to build a proper camp, but this presents a major logistical challenge. The Bangladeshi government and nongovernmental organisations are doing their best with the problematic geography of an unstable hilly environment, which makes it difficult to move people or services effectively and also makes the job of water engineers designing latrines and wells difficult. The Bangladeshi military is also organising and building basic infrastructure and doing crowd control, which is badly needed when so many frightened people are trapped together in cramped conditions. Local and international organisations desperately need to scale up the relief effort, but the government needs to be assured that the organisations coming in are the right ones for the job. Bangladeshi charities such as Brac are significant players, with a local and international presence, and other local charities are providing important services, including specialist help for those who have become overwhelmed by trauma. The clinical psychologists I met at a mental health service centre run by Gonoshasthaya Kendra, a local medical charity working in partnership with Médecins du Monde, said they believed everybody in the camp was traumatised. But they were only able to treat the very worst affected, like the young girl lying outside the tent clinic who had been rendered speechless by the violence she had witnessed and, in her torment, was violently attacking her own mother. She is only one of the endless thousands in need of mental-health assistance. The United Kingdom has the advantage of the Disasters Emergency Committee that, when it comes to crises of this scale, enables a unified approach to raising funds and support by coordinating major charities like Oxfam, Care International, Concern, ActionAid, Islamic Relief and half a dozen other experienced organisations. Doctors Without Borders has set up clinics, and UN agencies are also on the ground in Bangladesh, but it still is not enough when the continuing exodus of pain is driving tens of thousands of new refugees every day into the already seriously overcrowded camps. The logistics and transport links are a challenge. Well-meaning but ill-advised attempts to contribute have not helped: When we were there, the Rohingya were busy trying to clear endless piles of muddy and useless clothing that have been tossed out of the windows of passing cars by well-intentioned local people. A trampled sweater in the mud was a sad sign that expert help is needed, not woollen clothes in the brutal heat of the Asian summer. The Rohingya have suffered decades of discrimination and stigma and have endured so much on their tortuous journey to safety. Just the other day I heard from the talented Bangladeshi photojournalist, Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan, who worked with us in Cox’s Bazar, that he had been back to the border and was devastated to see those new refugees escaping the brutality in Myanmar were being prevented from entering Bangladesh. It is the duty of the international community, governments, national and international charities and all of us as citizens of the world to put our best efforts into helping the Rohingya and to raise our voices wherever we are to defend their right to return to their lost lives, lands and to a better future. This article has been originally published in Fair Observer Image Credit: Shahidul Alam

The Rohingya: When the land you love burns

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Bangladesh, News on Bangladesh, stories on Bangladesh, articles on Bangladesh, Bangladesh stories at Wion, Bangladesh news, Bangladesh latest news

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