Dhaka to Washington: Rohingya Resolution Key to Lasting Peace in Myanmar

Bangladesh has firmly conveyed to the United States that lasting peace in Myanmar is unattainable without resolving the Rohingya crisis. Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain shared this message during a meeting with senior US State Department officials, including Nicole N Chulick, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and Andrew Herrup, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

The meeting, which took place a day before Foreign Service Day celebrations at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, also included discussions with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus. To further support the diplomatic engagement, the acting US ambassador to Myanmar has arrived in Dhaka. Hossain emphasized the complexities surrounding Myanmar’s situation, stating, "If the Rohingya issue remains unresolved, peace in Myanmar will remain out of reach, even if the conflict subsides.

 We are also facing a new reality with non-state actors as neighbours, making it difficult to engage with them directly or ignore them entirely." He expressed hope that the situation could eventually stabilize and called on international allies to ensure that Myanmar’s future leadership respects the rights of the Rohingya. Additionally, Hossain discussed bilateral trade matters, noting efforts to reduce trade barriers and emphasizing that the perceived divide between Bangladesh and the US is not as wide as often suggested, highlighting significant imports in the service sector.