With three major international conferences on the Rohingya crisis scheduled over the next four months, more than 1.3 million Rohingyas living in Bangladesh say they view these as their “last hope” for justice and a dignified return to Myanmar.
At just 17, Toufique Al Mohsin fled Maungdaw in 2017 during a brutal military crackdown. Now 25, he has spent eight years in exile along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. “Because of various global crises, the Rohingya issue has lost international attention. In this reality, these upcoming global initiatives have become our nation’s last hope,” he told the Daily Sun on Saturday.
That sentiment is echoed across the camps in Cox’s Bazar, where refugees see the conferences as a rare chance for the international community to push for a sustainable solution. The first event, a three-day Stakeholders’ Dialogue: Takeaways to the High-Level Conference on the Rohingya Situation, begins today in Cox’s Bazar.
Co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the High Representative for the Rohingya Issue, the dialogue will run until 26 August, with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus scheduled to attend on Monday. The conference will bring together diplomats, global organisations, academics, Rohingya representatives and international experts.
Organisers said it aims to amplify Rohingya voices – especially those of women and youth – on aspirations, grievances and future hopes. Five thematic sessions will cover humanitarian support and funding challenges, developments in Rakhine State, confidence-building for repatriation, justice and accountability for atrocities and long-term strategies for a durable solution.
A festive mood has gripped the camps as the event opens, with refugees hoping it will spotlight their struggles in the absence of direct representation at next month’s UN gathering.
Rohingya Student Network representative Toufique said that “Arakan has already fallen under the control of the Arakan Army, making repatriation more complex,” and urged the international community to pressure both Myanmar authorities and rebel groups to resolve the crisis.
In a symbolic shift, Rohingya camps recently elected five leaders through informal voting, the first such exercise since the 2021 killing of prominent leader Mohibullah.
Newly elected President Moulvi Syed Ullah said, “We have been invited to the stakeholders’ dialogue. We consulted members across all 33 camps to prepare our proposals. This is a historic opportunity to ensure Rohingya voices are heard.”
“We want to return to Arakan with rights, dignity and equality. Our duty is to remain engaged with international partners, maintain peace in the camps and prioritise education. Above all, our foremost concern is repatriation,” he added.
He also called for formal Rohingya representation at all future conferences.
Following the Cox’s Bazar dialogue, two more major events will take place – the High-Level Conference on the Rohingya Situation on 30 September in New York, on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly, and an International Conference on Rohingya in Doha, Qatar, on 6 December.
