Rohingya repatriation is a shared responsibility of the international community: Bangladesh

Bangladesh has urged the international community to take collective responsibility for ensuring the safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar.

“It is the shared obligation of the global community to uphold the rights and dignity of the Rohingya and to expedite the creation of conditions in Rakhine conducive to their return,” said Ambassador Tareq Md Ariful Islam, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ambassador made these remarks during the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council while addressing the adoption of a resolution titled “The Situation of Human Rights of the Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar,” led by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Ambassador Islam reiterated Bangladesh’s steadfast commitment to engaging with all stakeholders to find a durable and comprehensive solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis through safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable repatriation.

He voiced deep concern over the escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, highlighting ongoing atrocities committed by the military and armed groups such as the Arakan Army, which continue to obstruct humanitarian access and worsen the plight of the Rohingya.

He informed the Council that since November 2023, nearly 118,000 Rohingyas have fled Rakhine and crossed into Bangladesh to escape violence and persecution.

Bangladesh also called for tangible, time-bound outcomes from the upcoming High-Level Conference on the Rohingya crisis, scheduled for September in New York.

The resolution adopted by the Council expressed grave concern over diminishing humanitarian support for the Rohingyas and called on the international community to equitably share the responsibility and burden of supporting those sheltered in Bangladesh.

It further urged the provision of unrestricted and sufficient humanitarian aid within Rakhine by the UN and other relevant humanitarian agencies.

The resolution underscored the urgent need to ensure accountability for human rights violations to end the entrenched culture of impunity in Rakhine. It also emphasized inclusive governance and the full, meaningful participation of Rohingya Muslims in decision-making at all levels.

The 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council began on June 16 and will run through July 9, 2025.