Salahuddin urges global pressure to resolve Rohingya crisis

“The crisis must remain high on the international agenda and should not be pushed into the background by other global conflicts or political crises,” he said while addressing a roundtable titled “The Rohingya Crisis: Emerging Challenges & Reframing Response Strategies”.

The Institute for Global Cooperation Foundation (IGCF) organised the discussion at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in Dhaka.

He said, “The Rohingya issue must always remain on the international radar of the United Nations and should not be overshadowed by any other global political conflict or crisis.”

The minister said a lasting solution to the crisis could be achieved through stronger cooperation from the global community and international organisations, particularly with the direct support of the United Nations and leading countries.

The Home Minister called on international human rights organisations, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and all other relevant stakeholders to play a more effective role in resolving the crisis.

“Our main goal is one and only one—to ensure that nearly 15 lakh, or 12 lakh according to UNHCR, forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (FDMNs) sheltering in Bangladesh can return to their own country with full dignity and security,” he said.

For this, continued support from the international community and a strong political role by leading countries are extremely important, he said.

Bangladesh has been hosting more than 15 lakh displaced Rohingyas for nearly nine years, providing them with shelter, food, land, healthcare and basic protection on humanitarian grounds, the minister said.

But the prolonged crisis is now creating growing security and social challenges, he added.

Criminal activities, arms and drug smuggling, human trafficking, gender-based violence and the activities of armed groups have increased in the camps over the years, posing serious challenges to Bangladesh’s internal security, the minister said.

According to the minister, local communities living around the camps and the surrounding environment have also come under severe pressure.

Against this backdrop, he said, stronger security measures—including fencing around the camps and a well-regulated movement system—have become necessary to control crime and ensure the security of both Rohingyas and local residents.

The minister recalled Bangladesh’s previous efforts to repatriate Rohingyas to Myanmar, saying the country had successfully carried out repatriation in 1978 under the leadership of then-president Ziaur Rahman and again in 1992 through the diplomatic initiative of then-prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

“Building on those successful experiences, the present government is determined to achieve 100 percent successful repatriation under the capable and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman,” he said.

He said the government had already formed a National Strategy Formulation Committee on Rohingya Affairs under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

A separate high-level national committee, headed by the home minister, is also working on law enforcement, border management and overall coordination of the Rohingya issue, he said.

The government is pursuing a comprehensive “whole-of-government” approach, bringing together the civil administration, security and defence agencies, he added.

The minister warned that humanitarian assistance without a clear and credible repatriation plan could eventually weaken the international push for a political solution.

“We need to move beyond emergency relief assistance and quickly adopt a ‘transitional strategy’,” he said.

The strategy, he explained, should focus on creating a safe and suitable environment in Myanmar’s Rakhine State so that Rohingyas can return to their homeland.

Salahuddin expressed optimism that sustained international engagement, national unity and a strong security framework would enable Bangladesh to ensure the dignified and permanent return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.

IGCF Chief Executive Officer Chowdhury Adnan Rahman delivered the welcome address, while Professor Dr Bulbul Siddiqi of the Department of Political Science and Sociology at North South University moderated the discussion.

Prime Minister’s Public Administration Adviser Md Ismail Zabihullah attended the event as the guest of honour and highlighted the importance of administrative coordination in addressing the Rohingya issue.

UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh Ivo Freijsen, BIISS Director General S M Ridwanur Rahman, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Refugee Cell Chief and Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Mohammad Nazmul Abedin, Dhaka University Professor Dr Sazzad Siddiqi, chairman of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, Professor Dr Niloy Ranjan Biswas of the Department of International Relations, IUB, Professor Dr Kazi Mahmudul Rahman, Jahangirnagar University Professor Dr Nurul Huda Sakib, ULAB Assistant Professor Avanti Harun, ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir and Prothom Alo Special Correspondent Rahid Ezaz, among others, took part in the discussion, reports BSS.