Bangladesh is set to host a three-day international conference in Cox’s Bazar starting Sunday to seek sustainable solutions for the Rohingya crisis through international cooperation and repatriation.
From Sunday to Tuesday, a stakeholder dialogue titled “Takeaway to the High-Level Conference on the Rohingya Situation” will be held at Hotel Baywatch auditorium in Inani, Ukhiya.
The event is being organized by the office of the High Representative on Rohingya Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chief Adviser to the interim government Prof Muhammad Yunus will attend as the chief guest.
More than 1.3 million Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh to escape brutal persecution by the military junta in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
Since then, various criminal activities within the refugee camps have strained relations with local communities. Murder, abduction, rape, extortion, and a severe drug crisis have deteriorated law and order in Ukhiya-Teknaf.
Amid this situation, the stakeholder dialogue in Cox’s Bazar is being convened with hopes for positive outcomes among the Rohingya community.
Muhammad Zubair, president of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), said: “We are very pleased to know that an international conference on Rohingya issues is being held in Inani, Cox’s Bazar. If representatives from different countries visit the Rohingya camps, they will witness the reality firsthand. We view this conference positively. If such conferences continue, Rohingyas may be able to return to Myanmar.”
Nur Muhammed, a member of ARSPH, added: “No one has the power to intervene in Myanmar’s tactics to expel the Rohingyas. When the Rohingya issue gains international attention, the junta government devises various schemes through deception.”
He also described the Arakan Army’s war as a staged drama by the junta.
Rohingya leader Mohammed Tayub said: “Our expectation from the international community surrounding this conference is that we be repatriated to Myanmar as soon as possible.”
Fatema Begum, a Rohingya woman from Block B of Kutupalong Camp No 2 in Ukhiya, said: “We no longer want to recount the sorrows of the Rohingya camps. With so many powerful nations in the world, why can't they pressure Myanmar’s Arakan Army or the junta government? How long will we remain exiled in these camps?”
A high-level conference is scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 30.
Referring to the Cox’s Bazar conference as a preparatory event, Commissioner of the Cox’s Bazar Relief and Rohingya Refugee Office Md Mizanur Rahman, said: “From the afternoon of August 24- August 26, foreign guests and our chief adviser will be present. At least 100 Rohingya men and women who represent the camps will be brought in. The aim is to hear directly from them about how repatriation should proceed. This conference is meant to strengthen the morale of the Rohingyas and explore ways to support them.”
He further added that Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus will inaugurate the conference on Monday.
“The three-day event will include participation from the head of government, domestic and international experts, diplomats, international organizations, academics, and representatives of the Rohingya community.”