Rohingya crisis: Dhaka wants a permanent solution

Bangladesh wants an urgent and permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis -- something that the government wants to highlight in the upcoming high-level conference on Rohingya in New York on September 30.

Dr Khalilur Rahman, national security adviser and high representative of the Chief Adviser on Rohingya Affairs, said this to media after a briefing to the diplomats based in Dhaka at the Foreign Service Academy yesterday.

About 50 envoys from the foreign missions including those of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Russia, China were present.

The briefing was about the stakeholder conference on Rohingya to be held in Cox's Bazar on August 24-26. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus will inaugurate the event on August 25, the eighth anniversary of the influx.

Another conference will also be held on December 6 in Qatar this year.

On the Cox's Bazar conference, Khalilur said this is part of the preparation for the international conference on the Rohingya issue that will be held at the UN on September 30.

He said this conference is an opportunity to provide a roadmap for an urgent and lasting solution to the Rohingya issue.

More than 1.2 million Rohingya now are sheltered in Bangladesh. Of them, nearly two lakh fled since 2023 amid intense conflicts between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army -- that has further complicated the problem.

Besides, the funding for the Rohingya has also declined. So far, the commitment of more than $400 million has been received, while the total demand is $934 million.

"The most important thing is that we want an urgent and permanent solution to this problem. How long can you keep them with international aid? They have to return home. That's the real issue," Khalilur told journalists.