Prof Yunus places 7-point roadmap for Rohingya repatriation

Chief Adviser (CA) Dr. Muhammad Yunus placed a seven-point proposal calling for coordinated international efforts to ensure the swift, safe, dignified, voluntary, and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya population to their homes in Rakhine, Myanmar.

He made the proposal while delivering his speech as the chief guest at the 'Stakeholders’ Dialogue' in Cox’s Bazar on Monday (August 25).

Seven Proposals include:

· Right to Return: Ensure Rohingyas’ speedy, safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation to Rakhine without delay.

· Sustained Aid: Donors must fill gaps in the 2025–26 Joint Response Plan and guarantee long-term funding.

· End Violence: Myanmar authorities and Arakan Army must stop attacks, ensure Rohingya security, prevent new outflows, and allow IDPs to return home.

· Dialogue: Establish a platform for inclusive dialogue to reduce tensions, restore rights, and promote reconciliation.

· Global & Regional Role: ASEAN, neighbours, and the international community must foster peace, stability, and combat cross-border crimes.

· Oppose Ethnic Cleansing: Stakeholders must stand firmly against ethnic cleansing and calibrate relations with Myanmar and conflict parties.

· Accountability: Strengthen ICJ and ICC processes, implement ICJ measures, and deliver justice for genocide and crimes against humanity.

Dr. Yunus emphasized the urgent need for concrete action, stating, “We must not be held hostage to mere rhetoric. The time for action is now.”

Dr. Yunus has called for immediate international action to resolve the Rohingya crisis, stressing that the responsibility cannot rest on Bangladesh alone. He urged the global community to share the burden and ensure the Rohingyas’ safe, voluntary, and dignified return to Rakhine.

“It would be a historic mistake to wait until the last Rohingya leaves Rakhine before acting,” he warned, emphasizing the need to keep the issue on the global agenda.

The session, part of a three-day international conference, observed 'Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day' with a minute of silence and screened a documentary on the crisis.

National Security Adviser Dr. Khalilur Rahman also called for concrete global efforts, while other key speakers included Faruk E Azam, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, and UNHCR’s Raouf Mazou.