Bangladesh Calls for International Efforts to Secure Rohingya Return

(MENAFN) Bangladesh has appealed for stronger international cooperation to facilitate the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, warning that the number of displaced people seeking shelter in the country has surpassed 1.5 million.

The appeal was raised during discussions in Dhaka between Bangladeshi Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Kelley E. Currie, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, according to an official ministry statement.

During the meeting, Ahmed informed the UN representative that the actual Rohingya refugee population in Bangladesh had exceeded 1.5 million, despite lower figures appearing in official records.

The majority of the refugees have been residing in camps across Cox's Bazar, a coastal district in southeastern Bangladesh, after escaping a military crackdown in Myanmar that began in August 2017.

Ahmed highlighted the growing economic and social pressures resulting from Bangladesh's prolonged responsibility for accommodating such a large displaced population. He stressed the importance of international efforts to facilitate the “safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of the Rohingya to their home country, Myanmar.”

The Bangladeshi minister also urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities in response to the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) anticipated ruling on Nov. 19 in proceedings involving allegations of genocide against the Rohingya population in Myanmar.

The discussions further emphasized the importance of unified diplomatic engagement and increased pressure on Myanmar, particularly from major international players such as China, India, the United States and the European Union, to help create conditions for the refugees' eventual return.

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