DHAKA: Bangladesh on Wednesday accused Myanmar of "a persistent campaign" to mislead the international community on the Rohingyas crisis to avoid its obligations for "sustained repatriation".
"It is a matter of utter dismay to witness persistent campaign on the part of the Government of Myanmar to mislead the international community with fabricated information, misrepresentation of facts, unsubstantial claims and undue accusations on Bangladesh in order to avoid its obligations for the sustained repatriation and reintegration of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas in safety and dignity," Bangladesh Foreign Office said in a statement.
Referring to the remark of Myanmar's Union Minister, U Kyaw Tin at the recent 18th Non-Aligment meeting in Baku where Naypyitaw made a statement in regard to Rohingyas which Bangladesh did not appreciate.
Tin accused Bangladesh of mischaracterising the Rohingya crisis as "religious persecution", "driving an ethnic group out of the country," "ethnic cleansing", "genocide" etc.
Dhaka also refuted Myanmar's portrayal of Rohingyas as "illegal migrants from Bangladesh from the colonial era."
Bangladesh Foreign office also reaffirmed to Myanmar that there were no Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) activities at its Rohingyas camps, which Naypyitaw often accused it of.
Dhaka further said, "Myanmar must act decisively to address the real causes that are preventing the displaced Rohingyas from going back voluntarily."
Bangladesh signed a repatriation deal in November 2017 with Myanmar with a plan to return the refugees within two years.
Bangladesh, with the help of the UN refugee agency, started the repatriation of the refugees in August this year for the second time after a failed attempt in November last year, however, none of the refugees agreed to go back voluntarily.