India to Aid Rohingya Repatriation, Boost Ties With Bangladesh

India's Home Minister Rajnath Singh pledged to provide relief supplies to Rohingya in Bangladesh as well as build homes in Rakhine state, Myanmar aid in the repatriation process.

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“The Indian Home Minister conveyed that India is committed to helping in the safe, speedy and sustainable return of these persons to their homes... India will also continue to provide relief material and supplies to help the Government of Bangladesh deal with the needs of those in the relief camps,” a statement by the Indian High Commission said.

Singh said India will “step up” assistance to the 750,000 Rohingya refugees who had fled the violence in Myanmar, officials told The Hindu. The minister reiterated that India was committed to extending help for the safe, speedy and sustainable return of Rohingyas to their homes in Myanmar.

Singh held the discussion with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ahead of Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali's trip to Myanmar to oversee the repatriation of the first group of Rohingya refugees who have been verified as residents of Rakhine, according to an agreement brokered between Bangladesh and Myanmar by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Singh also held talks regarding bilateral security collaborations between India and Bangladesh through training for and assistance to the Bangladesh Police force.

Singh attended a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signing ceremony and Nazibur Rahman, principal of Bangladesh Police Academy and Doley Barman, director of Sardar Vallabbhai Patel National Police Academy in India's Hyderabad, signed a memorandum.

“Our bilateral cooperation is based on mutuality of interests and a win-win formula for both countries,” Singh said, adding that the MoC would facilitate an exchange of trainers and trainees between the two institutes.