Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday emphasized that holding Myanmar accountable for its crimes is essential to building the confidence of the Rohingya people in order to facilitate their repatriation, as acts of genocide and crimes against humanity must never go unpunished.
He made the remarks while addressing a high-level roundtable titled “Social and Environmental Challenges Around Forcibly Displaced Populations – The Case of the Rohingya,” held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on the second day of his visit to Qatar.
In his speech, Professor Yunus underscored the importance of ongoing justice and accountability efforts, including proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the work of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), all concerning atrocities committed against the Rohingya population.
He noted that Bangladesh, as a state party to the United Nations and the Rome Statute, firmly believes that crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity must not go unpunished.
“Attributing these crimes to Myanmar and its officials is also a crucial step toward restoring the confidence of the Rohingya, which is necessary for their eventual repatriation to Rakhine,” the chief adviser said.
Professor Yunus highlighted that Bangladesh is actively supporting the accountability processes at the ICJ, the ICC, and through the IIMM.
At the ICJ, he noted that The Gambia submitted its memorial on 23 October 2020, presenting credible and reliable evidence against Myanmar. In response, Myanmar submitted its counter-memorial on 24 October 2023.
Subsequently, The Gambia filed its reply on 23 May 2024, followed by Myanmar’s rejoinder on 30 December 2024.
“The case is expected to move into its merits phase by early 2025,” he said, adding that the law firm Foley Hoag has indicated that, upon successful completion of the three procedural phases—Provisional Measures, Preliminary Objections, and Merits—they will request reparations from the government of Myanmar for the victims of the genocide.
The chief adviser also noted that The Gambia is making coordinated efforts to secure financial support from member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
So far, the OIC has raised $2.77 million, with Bangladesh being the largest contributor, donating $0.7 million.
Professor Yunus emphasized that given the serious budgetary constraints associated with the ongoing judicial proceedings at the ICJ, Qatar—as an affluent OIC member state—could be urged to contribute to the OIC Fund for Rohingya.
This fund was established to cover legal expenses and sustain international attention and momentum on the issue
