Dhaka urges global action on Rohingya crisis at Commonwealth ministerial meeting

Bangladesh has called for urgent international action on the Rohingya crisis, warning of its potential impact on regional stability. 

Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain made the call when speaking at the Commonwealth Ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Monday, according to a message disseminated by the foreign ministry today. 

During the meeting, Hossain emphasised that the crisis in Myanmar, which has displaced over a million Rohingya into Bangladesh, poses a broader regional threat.

“The Rohingya crisis is not just a concern for Bangladesh; the humanitarian and political situation in Myanmar risks spilling over into the surrounding region,” said Hossain, urging the international community to act swiftly to address the growing crisis.

Since 25 August in 2017, Bangladesh has been hosting over million forcefully displaced Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar district and most of them arrived there after a military crackdown by Myanmar, which the UN called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” and other rights groups dubbed it as “genocide”. 

In the last seven years, not a single Rohingya went back home. 

Myanmar agreed to take them back, but repatriation attempts failed twice due to trust deficit among the Rohingyas about their safety and security in Rakhine state.

Meeting with US Deputy Sec of State

In a separate meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma, Foreign Adviser Hossain discussed advancing bilateral relations between Dhaka and Washington focusing on Bangladesh’s democratic transition and economic development. 

Both sides explored avenues to enhance cooperation in promoting peace and prosperity in Bangladesh.