Myanmar leader Suu Kyi’s special envoy arrives in Dhaka

Myanmar’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs U Kyaw Tin has arrived in Dhaka as a special envoy of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

A senior official at the foreign ministry told bdnews24.com that the special envoy is leading a three-member delegation. They came in a Novo Air flight from Yangon on Tuesday afternoon.

They are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque on Wednesday.

The visit is taking place amid rising international pressure on Myanmar over the Rohingya issue, and ahead of the OIC foreign ministers’ meeting on the issue on Jan 19 in Malaysia.

Dhaka is expected to raise the Rohingya issue during the meetings.

The foreign ministry had earlier expressed deep concern at the wave of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Rakhine State for refuge in Bangladesh.

It said around 50,000 Myanmar citizens had taken shelter in Bangladesh since Oct 9 when the Rakhine state turned volatile following terror attacks on border police outposts.

Around 300,000 Myanmar nationals have been living in Bangladesh as refugees for years, according to the government.

The foreign ministry on Dec 29 summoned Myanmar Ambassador Myo Myint Than and demanded early repatriation of their nationals.

Amid international outcry, Director General Kyaw Zaya of Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Dec 30, however, told Reuters that they would take back 2,415 citizens from Bangladesh.

Myanmar authorities have been maintaining this number since 2010 but never started the process to take back those verified even before 2006.