Bangladesh has renewed its appeal for urgent international action to ensure the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, warning that the country can no longer shoulder the responsibility of hosting 1.3 million displaced people.
The call came as the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee unanimously adopted a resolution on Rohingya Muslims, jointly tabled by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the European Union (EU).
Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, delivered the statement following the adoption of the resolution on Wednesday.
The Bangladesh Permanent Mission in New York shared the remarks in a statement issued Thursday.
The ambassador said the resolution, cosponsored this year by 105 countries, reaffirms global concern over ongoing human rights violations in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, including the targeting of Rohingya Muslims, restrictions on humanitarian access, and the continuous outflow of refugees into Bangladesh and neighbouring countries since 2017.
He noted, however, that despite repeated international commitments, not a single Rohingya refugee has been able to return to Myanmar in the past eight years.
“For decades, the Rohingya and other minorities in Myanmar have been subjected to systematic violence, discrimination and oppression,” he said.
“This year marks eight years since their mass displacement into Bangladesh following widespread atrocities. Yet, unfortunately, there has been no meaningful progress.”
The envoy said the number of Rohingya refugees continues to rise with an additional 30,000 births recorded in the camps each year.
Renewed violence in Myanmar has pushed another 150,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh since 2023 alone, swelling the total population to 1.3 million.
“We cannot bear the burden any longer,” he said, describing the already overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar and the growing risks of human trafficking and cross-border criminal activities.
The discussion at the UN this year acknowledged escalating human rights violations by both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army in Rakhine State, the deepening hunger crisis, and severe disruptions to humanitarian access.
The resolution calls for an immediate end to violence, inclusive governance, a transparent political process, accountability for perpetrators and continued humanitarian support for affected communities.
Ambassador Chowdhury also highlighted the lack of progress on Asean’s Five-Point Consensus, saying Myanmar’s military authorities have failed to cooperate.
The resolution underscored the urgent need for renewed diplomatic engagement, including high-level dialogue, and the presence of international and regional humanitarian organizations in Rakhine as confidence-building measures to enable repatriation.
“As one of the most densely populated countries in the world, Bangladesh faces multiple development challenges,” he said.
“The new arrivals have put severe pressure on our land and resources. In the interest of regional and international security, repatriation through a reasonable stabilization of the situation in Rakhine — supported by the international community — is essential.”
For the seventh consecutive year, the UN’s Third Committee has adopted a resolution on the Rohingya crisis, urging Myanmar to address the root causes of displacement and ensure the safe, voluntary and sustainable return of the Rohingya to their homeland.
But Bangladesh warned that without urgent, coordinated global action, the crisis risks becoming permanent — with consequences far beyond the region.
