Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to repatriate 650,000 Rohingya refugees, who fled Myanmar’s crisis-hit Rakhine province, in two years, according to an agreement signed between the two countries.

The countries held the first meeting of a joint working group on the issue in Naypyidaw on Monday and Tuesday where the deal was signed, according to Bangladeshi officials.

Under the deal, Bangladesh would establish five transit camps from which returnees would be received initially in two reception centres on the Myanmar side. Myanmar would shelter them in a temporary accommodation at the Hla Pho Khung and expeditiously rebuild the houses for the returnees to move in. According to the arrangement, Myanmar would consider resettling the displaced people staying at the zero line on a priority basis and reiterated its commitment to the stop outflow of its residents to Bangladesh.

The two countries also finalised the “form” for verification of the returnees. Modalities for repatriation of orphans and children born out of unwarranted incidents have been incorporated in the arrangement.