Bangladesh official says Myanmar must take back “burden” of refugees

World Today

Bangladesh official says Myanmar must take back "burden" of refugees

There are more than 500,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, with even more waiting to cross the border. But Bangladesh’s transport minister says Myanmar must take back the Rohingyas. CGTN’s Barnaby Lo reports.

Under Bangladesh’s sweltering heat, with their feet bare, and their stomachs empty, the Rohingya refugees waited for aid. They’ve been provided with temporary shelters in Balu Khali, one of the largest Rohingya refugee camps in the country. Still, there is little else apart from roofs over their heads.

The first attempts at relief aid distribution in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh were nothing short of chaotic. Now, it’s a lot more organized. The refugees all wait in line and have small paper stubs that they’re given. They have to show the stubs to get relief goods. On the other hand, there’s now more of them, and the lines are very, very long.

When Bangladesh’s transport minister Obaidul Quader arrived in the camp with relief packages, he didn’t mince words.

“Solution lies with them because the problem was created by Myanmar government. We want them to take back their citizens to their own homeland. This is unbearable burden for us,” he said.

But Myanmar doesn’t count Rohingyas as citizens, and most Rohingya refugees here are afraid to go back. So for now, they wait, half a day, a day, or longer if they have to just to get whatever help they can.