Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry has stepped up diplomatic efforts to build international momentum towards repatriation of the Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, ensure their safety and establish their civic rights.
Dhaka recently intensified its diplomacy on this issue after the Myanmar armed forces started a heavy crackdown on the Muslim minority community in late August.
The success of the continued efforts by Bangladesh is reflected in the reactions from various international agencies and statements issued by foreign countries, which strongly condemned the excessive use of force by Myanmar authorities and praised the Bangladesh government for its humanitarian response to the influx of refugees.
Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque said Dhaka has taken diplomatic measures to resolve the crisis within international norms.
“Diplomacy is not a temporary measure or knee-jerk reaction. It is a matter of deliberation and calculation. Bangladesh is no exception to this,” he said.
Pointing out that Bangladesh has been working on the Rohingya issue for 30 years, the secretary said: “Different measures have been taken recently considering both strategic and planned grounds over the crisis.”
“The Foreign Ministry has come up with the steps following the instruction of the prime minister and under the foreign minister’s supervision,” he further said, adding that most of the measures were undisclosed for obvious reasons.
Results of these diplomatic moves by Bangladesh were noticeable in the two discussions held and a second statement issued by the UN Security Council on the Rohingya issue. Moreover, the European Parliament adopting a resolution and communication with different countries is an output of the efforts undertaken by Dhaka.
“The UN Security Council unanimously issued a statement over the Rohingya issue after nine long years. At the same time, the European Parliament resolution contains strong criticism,” Shahidul said.
“The problem originated in Myanmar, and Myanmar has to solve it. We hope that the crisis will come to an end with the help of Bangladesh,” he stated.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stated that Myanmar must give back the Rohingya people their citizenship and that Bangladesh will place the issue in the next UN General Assembly.
An official of the Foreign Ministry, requesting anonymity, said the government was in communication with major regional powers as well as global powers.
“Initially, India and China faced criticism over their stance. Now they are sympathetic to Bangladesh’s plight,” the official said.
That China was concerned about the refugee crisis was evident in the fact that it did not veto the resolution in the UN Security Council, the official said.
“Delhi already promised Dhaka of help over the Rohingya crisis,” the official added.
Bangladeshi officials will hold several meetings with the high-ups of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council during the general assembly.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson is going to organise a programme at the UN about the Rohingya issue on September 18, where his Bangladeshi counterpart AH Mahmood Ali has been invited.
In addition, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey V Lavrov is supposed to sit with AH Mahmood next week.
The article was first published on Bangla Tribune
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
