Bangladesh Rejects UN Request for Additional Land for Rohingya Refugees, Reiterates Call for Repatriation

The United Nations has requested additional land from Bangladesh to accommodate Rohingya refugees who were forcibly displaced from Myanmar and have taken shelter in the country. However, the Bangladesh government has not responded positively to the proposal, according to sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has once again strongly urged the international community to ensure the swift and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar. The call was made by Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, during a briefing by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar on Friday.

Addressing the session, Ambassador Chowdhury emphasized that the Rohingya crisis originated in Myanmar and that its lasting solution must also be found there.

“For nearly a decade, Bangladesh has hosted around 1.2 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds,” he said. “However, the protracted nature of the crisis is placing significant pressure on the country’s social, economic, environmental, and security conditions.”

He noted that the prolonged presence of such a large refugee population has increased pressure on local communities and national resources, making a rapid and sustainable resolution of the crisis an urgent necessity.

Reaffirming Bangladesh’s commitment to a peaceful solution, the ambassador called on the international community and regional stakeholders to intensify diplomatic efforts. He stressed the importance of creating conditions conducive to the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingyas to Myanmar.

Ambassador Chowdhury further stated that the Rohingyas themselves wish to return to their homeland and that repatriation remains the only viable long-term solution to the crisis.

He also urged the international community to continue supporting efforts to hold accountable those responsible for forcing the Rohingyas to flee Myanmar and to address the root causes of the crisis.

According to official estimates, at least 400,000 Rohingyas had already been living in Bangladesh before 2017. Following a military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State on August 25, 2017, nearly 750,000 more Rohingyas crossed into Bangladesh within a few months.

At present, approximately 1.2 million Rohingya refugees are living in Bangladesh, making it one of the largest refugee populations hosted by a single country in the world.