Dhaka Urges Clear Outcome from Upcoming Rohingya Talks

Ambassador Tareq Md Ariful Islam, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, addresses the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Bangladesh has called for practical and time-bound outcomes from the high-level international conference on the Rohingya crisis, set to take place in New York this September. The country stressed that such outcomes are essential to ending the prolonged suffering of Rohingya refugees and ensuring their safe and dignified return to Myanmar.

"It is the collective responsibility of the international community to uphold the rights and dignity of the Rohingya people and create conducive conditions for their early repatriation to Rakhine," said Ambassador Tareq Md Ariful Islam, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

He made the remarks during the adoption of an OIC-led resolution, titled “The Situation of Human Rights of the Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar”, at the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The resolution was adopted by consensus on Friday.

The ongoing council session, which began on 16 June, will continue until 9 July in Geneva.

Ambassador Islam reaffirmed Bangladesh's unwavering commitment to resolving the crisis through voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya to their ancestral homes in Rakhine.

He also raised alarm over the worsening conditions in Rakhine, noting that military operations and armed groups like the Arakan Army are perpetuating cycles of violence, restricting humanitarian access, and driving fresh waves of displacement.

“Since November 2023, over 118,000 Rohingyas have fled into Bangladesh to escape renewed persecution and violence in Rakhine,” the ambassador informed the Council.

The adopted resolution voiced deep concern over the declining international humanitarian support for the over one million Rohingyas currently sheltered in Bangladesh. It urged the global community to adopt equitable responsibility and burden-sharing to sustain relief efforts.

The resolution also calls for unhindered humanitarian access within Rakhine by the UN and other aid agencies, alongside reaffirming the need for accountability to break the ongoing culture of impunity.

Importantly, the resolution highlights the necessity of inclusive governance in Myanmar's Rakhine State, with full participation of Rohingya Muslims in decision-making processes at all levels.

As Bangladesh prepares for the September conference, its diplomats are pushing for firm international commitments, not just expressions of sympathy, to help resolve one of the world’s most protracted and neglected refugee crises.