Dhaka, April 17 -- In what appears to be a diplomatic milestone after years of stagnation, Myanmar has confirmed that 180,000 Rohingya refugees currently residing in Bangladesh are eligible for repatriation.

The announcement, which emerged from recent bilateral talks in Bangkok on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, has rekindled cautious hope in the world's largest refugee settlement in Cox's Bazar. However, this development calls for deeper legal and humanitarian scrutiny within the frameworks of international conventions and Bangladesh's statutory obligations.Past repatriation attempts in 2018 and 2019 failed as refugees refused to return without guaranteed safety, citizenship, and dignity.

The recent confirmation of 180,000 ver...