Five urgent proposals of PM for resolving Rohingya crisis

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has given the proposal of five urgent steps for resolving the Rohingya crisis. He gave these proposals at a high-level side event organized on the Rohingya crisis on the sidelines of the United Nations in New York on Wednesday (September 23).

Among the proposals of the Prime Minister there are—formulating a credible roadmap for the rapid, safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas; stopping the violence on the civilian people of Myanmar including the Rohingyas and ensuring their rights and security; ensuring adequate and predictable humanitarian assistance for the Rohingyas and the local host communities; cooperating with the international justice and investigation system to ensure justice and accountability and strengthening international and regional cooperation to deal with the cross-border crimes including drug trafficking, human trafficking, digital fraud and illegal arms.

The Prime Minister said the Rohingyas have been suffering discrimination, oppression and deprivation in Myanmar for several decades. The crisis has become deeper after the violence of 2017. Bangladesh is still giving shelter to more than 12 lakh Rohingyas. At the same time people are fleeing anew due to the ongoing violence of Myanmar and thousands of children are being born every year in the camps.

Mentioning that Bangladesh is ensuring food, healthcare and education for the Rohingyas by opening the border for humanitarian reasons Tarique Rahman said Myanmar curriculum-based education is being given at about 6,000 learning centers. Skill development training is also being given to the youths so that they can prepare for reintegration in Rakhine State in the future.

The Prime Minister also mentioned that the social, economic, environmental and security-related pressure of Bangladesh is increasing due to the long-standing Rohingya crisis. Along with this the risk of human trafficking, drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes has also been created. He commented that if the crisis is not resolved it may turn into a security challenge for the entire region.

Expressing concern over the decrease in the amount of humanitarian assistance Tarique Rahman said an appeal for more than 934 million US dollars of assistance had been made in the joint response plan of 2025. That need has been reduced and fixed at about 710 million dollars for 2026. The need of 710.5 million dollars has also been mentioned in the revised plan of the United Nations for 2026.

The Prime Minister said this tendency of assistance decreasing although the need is increasing cannot continue. In his words, the origin of the Rohingya crisis is in Myanmar and its solution also lies in Myanmar itself.

He mentioned that the Rohingyas in Rakhine State are still suffering various tortures including forced recruitment, arbitrary detention, restrictions on movement and forced labor. The Prime Minister also informed that there are allegations of serious violations against both the military forces of Myanmar and the Arakan Army. The United Nations has also mentioned the incidents like serious human rights violations against the Rohingyas and forced recruitment and arbitrary detention in the ongoing conflict.

Mentioning that the necessary environment for safe and dignified repatriation has not yet been created Tarique Rahman said it is necessary to move from sympathy to the root cause and solution of the crisis and from commitment to effective steps now.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh wants the Rohingyas to return to their own homes in Myanmar safely, voluntarily, with dignity and by keeping the rights protected. Bangladesh is ready to assist in the repatriation if the necessary situation is created. At the same time he called on the international community to firmly perform the responsibility in resolving the crisis.