Win Myat Aye The first visit by a Myanmar minister to a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh is scheduled to take place today (Wednesday).
The Myanmar minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement Win Myat Aye is scheduled to visit the country on a 48-hour trip to Bangladesh.
He is expected to land in Cox's Bazar by a Novo Air flight no-VQ933 at 11.05 am.
He will visit the Kutupalong Rohingya camp and will talk to the refugees who have been forcefully displaced from the Rakhaine state of Myanmar. He will also observe the humanitarian activities of different donor agencies, officials said.
The minister is likely to spend the night in the beach town.
If his programme prolongs, he is due to return to Dhaka tomorrow (Thursday), an official of the foreign ministry, who is coordinating the visit, told the FE Tuesday.
There is also the possibility of his return to Dhaka in the afternoon (Wednesday), the official said, adding that arrangements were made keeping both options in mind.
Recently, Myanmar's top leader Aung San Suu Kyi has assigned Mr Aye to supervise the rehabilitation efforts in the country's Rakhine State, home to the Rohingya people.
Over one million Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh in the face of brutal military crackdown apparently aiming at ethnic cleansing by the Myanmar security forces since August last year.
Talking to reporters about his visit in Myanmar, Win Myat Aye said his visit was to negotiate and make the repatriation process smoother and quicker.
"It is our responsibility to accept them back," Win Myat Aye said. "Our main purpose is to tell the refugees that we are ready to accept them back and we want to explain to them about that."
During his visit, the Myanmar minister will be accompanied by Bangladesh foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali and Bangladesh Ambassador in Myanmar Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury.
Mohammed Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's refugee relief and rehabilitation commissioner, will guide the delegation at the camp.
The Myanmar minister is scheduled to hold talks on the repatriation issue with Bangladesh foreign minister and home minister on tomorrow at around 6.0 pm at the state guest house Padma before his departure in the same night.
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