Humaiun seeks mounting global pressure on Myanmar for Rohingyas’ return

Newly appointed State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Saturday urged the international community not to let the Rohingya crisis become a forgotten issue and exert meaningful pressure on Myanmar to ensure their sustainable and dignified repatriation.

“The international community must work collectively to create meaningful pressure on Myanmar to ensure the sustainable and dignified return of the Rohingya to their country,” he said.

Humaiun said the Rohingya crisis must not be allowed to become a “forgotten crisis” as he was speaking at an event called “Confluence 2026: A Convening of Partnership, Appreciation and Commitment,” staged by International Rescue Committee (IRC) at a city hotel.

The event marked the ninth anniversary of the mass displacement of Rohingyas from Myanmar to Bangladesh in August 2017 and recognised Bangladesh and international organisations response to the humanitarian crisis.

The state minister said the international community should also share burden of the protracted crisis with Bangladesh by expanding opportunities for third-country resettlement and pursuing other durable solutions for the Rohingyas.

Humaiun said the government has made a resolution making the Rohingya crisis one of its foremost foreign policy priorities.

“We are not merely seeking to manage the crisis through humanitarian assistance, we remain firmly committed to pursue a sustainable and lasting solution to the Rohingya issue,” he added.

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IRC Deputy Regional Director for Asia Hasina Rahman cautioned that declining funding and diminishing global attention required a review of the approach to the nine-year-old crisis.

“Nine years in, business as usual will not carry us into year ten, or year fifteen. With funds shrinking and global attention drifting elsewhere from this crisis, we must plan together, priorities protection and the most vulnerable,” she said.

Two panel discussions brought together representatives of the Bangladesh government, donor agencies, humanitarian organisations, Rohingya and host communities and academia to discuss a shared vision for the future of the Rohingya response.

The discussions highlighted the evolving humanitarian situation and stressed sustained international support, stronger protection and continued access to essential services.

Panellist also called for a long-term and integrated approach placing the rights, dignity and aspirations of both Rohingyas and host communities at the centre of the response.

NGO Affairs Bureau Director General Mohammad Zakaria, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir, World Bank Divisional Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan Jean Pesme and representatives of diplomatic missions, UN agencies and humanitarian organisations, among others, attended the event.