In this picture taken on 22 March 2022, Rohingya walk along a road at Jamtoli camp in Ukhiya of Cox’s Bazar.AFP file photo
Three international conferences are set to be held over the next four months to address the Rohingya crisis.
The conferences will be hosted by the United Nations, Qatar, and Bangladesh, with the aim of increasing funding for displaced Rohingyas and facilitating their return to Rakhine, strengthening international efforts to resolve the issue.
According to sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a new global initiative to resolve the Rohingya crisis is being launched eight years after the initial influx.
On 25 August, an international conference titled “Stakeholder Dialogue: Messages for High-Level Discussions on the Rohingya Situation” will be held in Cox’s Bazar.
This will be followed by a high-level Rohingya meeting in New York on 30 September, coinciding with the UN General Assembly. A third international conference will take place in Doha, Qatar, on 6 December.
The Rohingya influx into Bangladesh began on 25 August 2017, when people fled Myanmar’s military atrocities. Nearly eight years later, international attention on the crisis has waned due to global developments and Myanmar’s military takeover. Humanitarian aid for the Rohingya has steadily declined, leaving over 1.4 million displaced Rohingyas in Bangladesh.
On the eighth anniversary of the influx, Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the interim government, will attend the Cox’s Bazar conference as the chief guest.
Several foreign ministers, UN envoys on the Rohingya issue, representatives from Bangladesh missions abroad, and UN agencies will also participate. Rohingyas from camps in Cox’s Bazar and representatives living in various countries will join the conference.
When asked, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain told Prothom Alo that several invited foreign ministers will attend the Cox’s Bazar discussions. Sources indicate that ministers from at least 10 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, China, Turkey, Finland, Malaysia, Thailand, and Gambia, have been invited.
What to expect at the Cox’s Bazar conference
The three-day conference, scheduled for 24–26 August, will include discussions, cultural programmes, and exhibitions in the refugee camps.
According to diplomatic sources, five working sessions will be held on 24 and 25 August, focusing on humanitarian assistance for Rohingyas and initiating their return to Rakhine. On 26 August, attendees will visit the refugee camps.
Officials and international representatives associated with the Rohingya crisis note that global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, and Israeli aggression against Palestinians in 2024 have diverted attention from the Rohingya issue.
Following the Arakan Army’s control of Rakhine State, the prospects for Rohingya repatriation have become almost impossible, leaving many Rohingyas hopeless about returning home.
In this context, the interim government aims to re-engage the international community through the Cox’s Bazar discussions, while also seeking political and financial support from blocs such as the Middle East and ASEAN.
Preparations are underway for the Doha conference in December, with a position paper based on the Cox’s Bazar discussions to inform deliberations in New York and later in Qatar.
National Security Adviser and High Representative for the Rohingya issue, Khalilur Rahman, recently told Prothom Alo that the Cox’s Bazar dialogue will precede the New York conference and lay the groundwork for the international conference in Qatar later this year.
Last year, during a high-level discussion at the UN General Assembly, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus proposed an international conference with stakeholders to assess the current situation and seek a “forward-looking” solution to the Rohingya crisis.
