Dhaka: Malaysia has said it supports the involvement of international community and UN agencies in the repatriation process of all Rohingyas from Bangladesh.

Visiting Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi held a meeting with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam on Sunday evening at State Guest House Padma and conveyed the message.

Malaysian Minister for Human Resources Dr Richard Riot Anak Jaem and Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam were also present at the meeting.

Zahid Hamidi said Malaysian and Bangladesh could be leading partners in resolving the problem, and assured that Malaysia will be with Bangladesh on this issue.

The Rohingya issue was one of the major focuses of the meeting.

Mahmood Ali briefed Hamidi about serious difficulties faced by Bangladesh due to the mass exodus of more than half a million Rohingyas within the quickest time in migration history.

He mentioned that Bangladesh is now hosting over 900,000 forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals where around 540,000 have taken shelter to Bangladesh after August 25, 2017.

The Foreign Minister pointed out that Myanmar Security forces and auxiliary ethnic Rakhine armed vigilantes are carrying out an organised and systematic violence, arson and atrocities against Rohingya civilians to depopulate the northern Rakhine State and to prevent their possible return.

Mahmood Ali said Bangladesh has given shelter to the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals temporarily on humanitarian ground and they have to go back to their homes in Rakhine at the earliest possible. "The root of the problem is in Myanmar and the solution also lies there," he said.

Referring to the recent visit of the Myanmar Union Minister at the State Counsellor's Office and the discussion on return of the Rohingyas, he mentioned that the major issues of concern remain left to be addressed.

Minister Ali said agreed that the principles and criteria of 1992 need to be revised to address the current challenge, and international community and the UN agencies should be allowed to support the repatriation process.

He appreciated Malaysia's bold position in support of persecuted Rohingyas, initiative of providing humanitarian assistance to the Rohingyas and welcomed the proposal for setting up of a field hospital in Cox's Bazar to provide medical care to around 300,000 Rohingyas.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister applauded Bangladesh for giving the distressed Rohingyas shelter and Bangladesh's all-out efforts to provide them with humanitarian assistance.

He mentioned that Malaysia is deeply concerned at the disturbing developments and took a strong position on the Rohingya issue in the UN and other regional forums.

The employment of Bangladeshi workforce in Malaysia featured prominently at the meeting.

Bangladesh thanked Malaysia for including it as an official source country for the recruitment of foreign workforce.

Both sides discussed the present status of implementation of the G2G+ mechanism for recruiting Bangladeshi workers and agreed to speed up the whole process of recruitment.

Bangladesh and Malaysia agreed to address all the issues that delay the process and redress it through the Joint Working Group.

The Bangladesh Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment thanked Malaysia for allowing irregular worker to regularise themselves through re-hiring programme.

He conveyed Bangladesh's readiness to provide trained security guards to Malaysia and Malaysia showed interest to do so.

The Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister will visit Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar on Monday, said the Foreign Ministry here.

Zahid Hamidi arrived here on Sunday morning on a two-day visit to discuss bilateral and Rohingya issues.

This visit reflects Malaysia's 'concern and seriousness' on the Rohingya issue in general, said an official.

Secretary (Bilateral and Consular) Kamrul Ahsan and Malaysian High Commissioner in Dhaka Nur Ashikin Binti Mohd Taib received the Deputy Prime Minister at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:30 am, a senior Foreign Ministry official told UNB.

The Foreign Minister hosted dinner in honour of the Malaysian Deputy PM after the meeting.

This is Zahid Hamidi's first visit to Bangladesh since assuming office as the Deputy Prime Minister in 2015.

He is expected to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and relevant ministers to take stock of the existing bilateral relations and explore new areas of cooperation that are mutually beneficial to both countries, according to a statement UNB obtained from Malaysian Foreign Ministry on Friday.

He will leave for Kuala Lumpur from Cox's Bazar on Monday through a special flight.