Bangladesh on Tuesday rejected several elements of Myanmar’s latest statement on the Rohingya issue, saying they were based on erroneous statistics, particularly regarding the number of forcibly displaced Rohingyas.

Director General (Myanmar) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Md Toufiq-ur-Rahman raised the issue during a meeting with Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh U Kyaw Soe Moe at the foreign ministry.

Referring to the Myanmar Foreign Ministry’s 15 August press statement on the Rohingya issue, the Director General said many elements of the statement were based on erroneous statistics, including figures concerning the displaced Rohingya population.

He said the data on Rohingyas registered under the United Nations system reflects their accurate numbers.

Toufiq-ur-Rahman also urged Myanmar to expedite the verification process of the displaced Rohingyas in accordance with the agreed bilateral instruments.

He stressed that the verification process should take into account children born in the Rohingya camps as well as new arrivals who were forced to flee Rakhine State after 2017.

Bangladesh is currently registering them, and information concerning Rohingyas beyond the existing caseload of 828,824 will be shared with the Myanmar authorities in due course, he said.

The Director General requested the Myanmar authorities to duly incorporate the additional information into the verification exercise.

He also pointed out that Rohingyas should not be referred to as “Bengalis”, saying they have their own ethnic identity that had been recognised by the Myanmar authorities until recent times.

Ambassador Soe Moe assured the Director General that he would convey Bangladesh’s concerns and observations to his government.

The envoy also expressed Myanmar’s commitment to expedite the verification process with a view to beginning the repatriation of verified Rohingyas.

Toufiq-ur-Rahman reiterated Bangladesh’s position that the only sustainable solution to the protracted crisis lies in the safe, dignified and voluntary repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland in Rakhine State.