Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said the government will provide all kinds of assistance to Rohingya refugees here until their return to Myanmar.

The minister came up with the assurance at a press briefing on Rohingya issue at the secretariat on Thursday.

He said Bangladesh allowed Rohingyas to take them as refugees here only on humanitarian ground but it hopes that Myanmar will take back its people soon.

International pressure will be put on Myanmar government to take Rohingya people back, the minister also said.

He said that the government has fixed 13 spots for fair distribution of relief materials among Rohingyas.

Around 424,000 Rohingyas entered Bangladesh to flee from persecution by Myanmar security forces since August 25.

Of them, biometric registration of 5,575 Rohingyas has been completed and the rest of them will come under the scanner within the next two months, Maya hoped.

The minister said Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) is supplying 14,000 units of drinking water everyday for Rohingya people. It has also constructed some 100 tube wells and 500 makeshift toilets for fresh influx of Rohingyas.

Disaster Management Ministry has already allocated 500 tonnes of rice and Tk 30 lakh in cash for the Rohinga Muslims, he added.

‘For giving shelter to Rohingyas, the construction work of 14,000 sheds on 2000 acres of land in Kutupalang area of Cox’s Bazar is going on rapidly.’

Responding to a query, the minister said help from Bangladesh Army was sought for arrangement of refugee camps for Rohingyas.

Now, Rohingyas are living in 14 camps, the minister said, adding that measures have been taken to gather scattered Rohingyas to selected place aiming to provide humanitarian assistance, including food, medical services and security to them.

The government hoped that international agencies will continue their aid programme for Rohingyas as long as they need. It is the credit of Bangladesh that no Rohingya has so far died due to starvation.

The minister further said World Food Programme (WFP) pledged to provide foods for 400,000 fresh influxes of Rohingyas for next four months while United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed its interest to support all kinds of assistance, including food, medical services and shelter for them.

He said local and foreign aid agencies have sent 250 tonnes of rice and 20 tonnes of flour and other relief materials for Rohingyas till date.