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Published : 20 Jun 2026, 04:15 PM
Bangladesh has renewed its call at the United Nations for the swift repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, saying the displaced want to return to their homeland.
Addressing a briefing by the UN secretary-general’s special envoy on Myanmar on Friday, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury said the protracted crisis had imposed a heavy burden on Bangladesh, BSS reported.
He said the Rohingya crisis originated in Myanmar and that any durable solution must be found there.
For nearly a decade, Bangladesh has sheltered around 1.2 million forcibly displaced Rohingya refugees on humanitarian grounds, he said, while facing mounting social, economic, environmental and security challenges.
Reaffirming Bangladesh’s commitment to a peaceful solution, he called on the international community and key regional stakeholders to intensify diplomatic efforts and take effective measures to create conditions conducive to the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees.
Repatriation is the only sustainable solution to this crisis, he said.
He also sought stronger international support to ensure accountability for those responsible for forcing the refugees from their homes and to address the root causes of the crisis.
He emphasised coordinated global and regional efforts to restore peace, stability and normalcy in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and facilitate the return of displaced people.
On Thursday, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam also called for stronger global cooperation on Rohingya repatriation at a high-level humanitarian affairs meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council.
More than 750,000 Rohingya people fled to Bangladesh after a military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State beginning on Aug 25, 2017, joining another 400,000 already living in camps in Cox’s Bazar.
Repatriation efforts launched in 2019 collapsed after refugees refused to return without guarantees of safety.
The interim government formed after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on Aug 5 had also sought broader international engagement to advance repatriation efforts.
During his visit to the Rohingya camps in early 2025, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised the urgent necessity of bringing the refugee crisis back to the forefront of global discussions.
He also highlighted the importance of sustained international support until a safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation to Myanmar can be achieved.
