Bangladesh, Myanmar aim to finish Rohingya return in 2 years

Bangladesh officials say they have agreed with Myanmar that they will try to complete the repatriation of Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled from violence in Myanmar within two years.

Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that a joint working group from the two countries finalized an agreement on Monday on physical arrangements for the ethnic Rohingya's repatriation. It said they agreed that the process "would be completed preferably within two years from the commencement of repatriation."

More than 650,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August, when Myanmar's military launched a brutal crackdown in Rakhine state after a militant group attacked police posts.

The two countries signed an initial agreement on the repatriation in November. Many have questioned whether Rohingya would return to Myanmar under the current circumstances.