Resolving Rohingya crisis not Bangladesh’s sole responsibility: State Minister

Resolving the Rohingya crisis is not Bangladesh's sole responsibility, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir said Thursday (September 10), stressing that the ultimate goal is the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of the displaced Myanmar nationals to their homeland.

Speaking at a seminar on the Rohingya crisis at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, Kabir said repatriation must go beyond simply crossing the border. Myanmar must create conditions where Rohingyas can return with security, rights and dignity and live with confidence about their future.

Bangladesh has provided shelter to more than one million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, placing significant pressure on its economy, environment, public services, local communities and national security, he said.

The country did so on humanitarian grounds, but its humanitarian responsibility should not be treated as limitless, he added.

“Bangladesh did not create the Rohingya crisis, so resolving it cannot be Bangladesh’s responsibility alone,” Kabir said, calling on the international community to move beyond expressions of solidarity and take shared responsibility through sustained political engagement.

He also urged predictable humanitarian funding for Rohingyas, greater support for host communities and stronger regional cooperation. Diplomatic efforts with Myanmar, he said, must address the root causes of the displacement.

Humanitarian assistance can ease the consequences of the crisis but cannot end it permanently, Kabir said, underscoring the need for a political solution to achieve a lasting settlement.