Volunteers waiting for permission to disembark in Bangladesh

Volunteers of the 'Food Flotilla for Myanmar' humanitarian mission have still not obtained permission from the Bangladesh Government to disembark and travel to the Rohingya refugee camps there.

Mission head, Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim said the group still hoped permission would be granted at the latest by tomorrow (Sunday).

"I hope the Bangladesh Government will give permission for the 184 volunteers to disembark from the ship to hand out the aid. We want to help our brothers in Islam who have been oppressed.

"I have asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to help (obtain the permission)," he told reporters as the mission entered its night day today.

Abdul Azeez said when the ship docked in Chittagong on Monday, the volunteers hoped to visit the Rohingya refugee camps in Kutupalong and Teknaf.

He said the volunteers were expected to take the 130km-land route from Chittagong to the seaside town of Cox's Bazar to get to the camps.

"We expect to be in Bangladesh for four days to hand over the aid, as well as for other activities," he said, adding the group would seek the help of the Bangladesh authorities to ensure the safety of the volunteers.

The mission is taking along more than 2,000 tonnes of food, medicines, daily essential goods, clothes and blankets.

On Thursday, the ship docked at the Yangon port in Myanmar to send supplies to the Rohingya community there before continuing its journey to Chittagong.

The 'Food Flotilla for Myanmar' is organised by the Putera 1Malaysia Club and the Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organisations.

Volunteers from 12 countries on board comprise medical teams, educationists, Malaysian and international journalists, as well as representatives of Malaysian and foreign non-governmental organisations. - BERNAMA