UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres has visited Bangladesh for the second time in eight years after more than eight lac Rohingyas fled persecution in Myanmar's Rakhine state in 2017 and took shelter in camps located in Ukhiya and Teknaf of Cox's Bazar. It is to be noted that according to the statistics of that time, 871,924 Rohingyas were registered, but the number of Rohingyas is now more than 1.2 million, including the remaining Rohingyas sheltered during 1991-92 and more than 30,000 new births every year.
Apart from this, many Rohingyas have infiltrated and mixed with the local communities, many of whom illegally collected Bangladeshi passports and went to different countries including Saudi Arabia. During 2020-2022, while performing the role as Head of Operations of the Red Crescent Society's Rohingya humanitarian program, I saw in Ukhia, Teknaf, Ramu and even remote upazila Kutubdia, many Rohingyas are engaged in various professions likewise the locals. As a result, there are frequent conflicts with the locals. There are more problems; for example, the involvement of the locals in drug smuggling with the Rohingyas, clashes with the locals, giving priority to the Rohingyas in the jobs of various organizations working in the camps, involvement of Rohingyas in local business, Rohingya-local marriage and related conflicts, social chaos etc. The negative impact on the environment due to the destruction of hills and forests and setting up the world's largest camp has existed since the beginning of the crisis.
Although the Rohingyas receive regular assistance (food, medicine and others) in the camps, they are eager to return to their homeland due to the uncertain future of the children and adolescents who are deprived of formal education, being driven out of their homeland and confined to a small house of 150 square feet and barbed wire. I have listened to their eagerness in conversations with many Rohingyas, like Roushan Alam, at different times besides performing my professional duty. The UN secretary general also shared his conversations with the Rohingyas, "The displaced Rohingya people want to return to their homeland in Myanmar". Despite he actually expressed his limitations by stating "---but this repatriation will be possible only when the international community can ensure peace in Myanmar and the rights of the Rohingya are protected."
On January 3 this year, a seven-point demand was raised in a protest meeting and human chain of local residents in Cox's Bazar to get rid of the long bitter experience due to the uncertain repatriation of the Rohingyas and their presence. The seven points included 1. repatriation of Rohingyas without delay, 2. strengthen security at the border to stop new infiltration, 3. effective diplomatic efforts to push back the Rohingyas who have entered illegally in 2024, 4. ensuring the safety of the locals, 5. ensuring the priority of the locals (at least 50 percent) in the management of the camps, including jobs, 6. strict surveillance to stop the free movement of Rohingyas outside the barbed wire and the rent of Rohingyas outside the camps, and 7. recruitment for camp jobs by forming a monitoring cell involving locals to ensure transparency.
When the Rohingya crisis started in 2017, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with Myanmar in a hurry. Accordingly, the repatriation was supposed to start in December of that year, but not a single Rohingya has been repatriated in the last eight years. Rather, at least 60,000 new Rohingya entered Bangladesh due to military rule in February 2021 and subsequent ethnic riots, that caused displacement of more than 3.5 million people inside Myanmar itself.
The pilot repatriation initiative was initiated in December 2023, but it did not materialize. Because the Rohingya and the international community put conditions with Rohingya repatriation that "repatriation must be voluntary, safe and dignified" which is difficult to ensure. The UN Secretary General also reiterated this in the context of repatriation. But he rightly said, "It is the responsibility of the international community to ensure that they (Rohingya) do not face any kind of discrimination upon their return to Myanmar." "The Rohingya have long been victims of persecution and deprivation. If their safety and rights are not ensured, their repatriation will not be sustainable" he added. He said the young Rohingyas expressed their concerns about not having the opportunity of higher education and shared their aspirations by sharing their uncertain future.
The Rohingya issue was on the verge of losing international attention in the contemporary global context, especially in the wake of the Gaza and Ukraine wars and internal conflicts and food crises in various African countries. It is expected that the visit of the UN Secretary General and the visit of UNHCR Chief Filippo Grandi before that will be able to bring the Rohingya crisis and their repatriation issue to the attention of the international community. The UN Secretary General has also assured that he would highlight the issue of ensuring adequate support for the Rohingyas and their repatriation in the international arena.
Bangladesh will have to continue to take initiatives to resolve this problem. We believe that the recent visit of the UN Secretary General at the invitation of the Chief Adviser will revive the Rohingya issue in the international arena. Earlier, he raised the issue in the UN General Assembly last year and proposed the establishment of a safe zone for the Rohingyas in Rakhine under the supervision of the United Nations. The Chief Adviser proposed an international conference on the Rohingya issue, which has been accepted by the United Nations. The coveted conference is expected to be held later this year. Apart from this, the issue of Rohingya repatriation should be discussed with China, a politically and economic important country for Myanmar and a friendly country of Bangladesh.
It is expected that the Rohingya repatriation issue will be included in the program of the Chief Adviser's upcoming visit to China. The Rohingya issue should also be raised at the forum of Southeast Asian countries ASEAN, which include Myanmar. The Chief Adviser has already raised the issue with the leadership of ASEAN membersMalaysia, Indonesia and Timor-Leste. If it is possible to reach the Rohingya repatriation issue at an advantageous stage by using the personal image of the Chief Adviser in the regional and international arena, it will be easier for the next political government to implement it. But until then, the existing facilities for the Rohingyas must be ensured as part of the humanitarian commitment, which has also been expressed by the recently visiting UN Secretary General.
The writer is a former Director, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society
