Dhaka is waiting for Naypyidaw to engage international volunteers in the process of Rohingya repatriation and humanitarian assistance before taking the next steps, said foreign ministry officials.

During the official-level meeting between Myanmar and Bangladesh on September 4, Myanmar officials agreed to involve international volunteers, including those from the UN and ASEAN countries, in the repatriation process.

In the meeting, the two countries also agreed that a Myanmar delegation would visit the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar as part of confidence building measures so that they are convinced to return to Myanmar.

Also, a Bangladesh delegation would visit the Rakhine State of Myanmar before starting the Rohingya repatriation by October.

Previously, two attempts of repatriation -- one in 2018 and the other in 2019 -- failed as Myanmar could not meet the Rohingyas' demands for guarantee of safety, citizenship, and ethnicity recognition.

"The schedule of the Myanmar delegation is yet to be finalised. Initially, we thought of arranging the visit by September, but we are waiting to see how Myanmar is engaging the international volunteers," a foreign ministry official told The Daily Star on Sunday.

According to the officials concerned, Rohingyas demand to return to their original residences in Rakhine State, not to the camps. Myanmar officials also agreed to this.

Chinese Special Envoy for Asian Affairs Deng Xijun, who visited Dhaka on August 1 this year, also confirmed this matter.

Under Chinese mediation, Bangladesh and Myanmar have been working to implement a pilot project of repatriating at least 3,000 Rohingyas to Myanmar. Initially, the repatriation was supposed to start before monsoon this year, but that did not happen. Now, they want to start the repatriation by October.

Engagement of the UN, ASEAN or other international aid agencies in the repatriation process and humanitarian assistance is among some of the basic conditions that need to be met, officials said.

"We know that there is a tripartite memorandum of understanding among the Myanmar government, UN Refugee Agency and UNDP. The MoU expired in March this year and is yet to be renewed," an official said.

"Renewal of the MoU would be a sign showing Myanmar's willingness to engage the international volunteers," he said.

This would be convincing for the Bangladesh government, international community as well as for the Rohingyas, the foreign ministry official also said.

"Now, we are waiting to see what Myanmar does. Based on that, we will proceed," he added.