India should pressurise Myanmar to take back Rohingyas: B'desh envoy

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Mohammad Ali on Friday urged India, as well as other countries of the region, to pressurise Myanmar to take back their citizens (Rohingyas) and give them their rights.

"It is certainly a major security concern for India and us (Bangladesh). For the sake of peace and stability in the region, India, Bangladesh as well as other regional countries should pressurise Myanmar to take back their citizens and give them their rights," the Bangladesh diplomat said.

Branding Rohingyas as a "major concern", Ali denied having any bilateral issue with Myanmar.

"Rohingyas are a major concern not only for Bangladesh but for the entire region. We do not have any bilateral issue with the Myanmar government. The problem lies with them because they refused to recognise part of their citizens, living there for centuries," he added.

Earlier in the month, Myanmar and the United Nations agencies have inked an agreement which could facilitate repatriation of about 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees.

More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees are languishing in crowded and flood-prone Bangladeshi refugee camps. They fled a brutal Myanmar military campaign launched in August last year.

Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar and are considered as illegal immigrants.

Bangladesh and Myanmar had earlier finalised an agreement, which will facilitate the repatriation of the Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh.

The agreement title 'Physical Agreement' says that the repatriation would be completed within two years.