Seven years of Rohingya refugee issues in Bangladesh have been completed. In this regard, it is noteworthy that even after 7 years of the arrival of Rohingya refugees, it is known that there is no speed in their repatriation. It is also necessary to say that Myanmar has given only words of hope regarding a logical solution to the Rohingya crisis, but nothing has been done – it has been discussed before. Besides, Rohingyas will be repatriated in stages – such assurance was given to Bangladesh. But it never saw the light of day. On the other hand, no one can say now when the Rohingya repatriation process will start.
As a result, taking into account the overall situation, it is the duty of the concerned to take and implement appropriate initiatives. Incidentally, on August 25, 2017, more than 1 million Rohingya started taking refuge in Bangladesh to save their lives due to the brutal massacre of Rohingya by the country’s army in Myanmar’s Rakhine. According to the data, three rounds of efforts to repatriate Rohingyas in the last seven years have failed. In addition, diplomatic and legal processes have not worked. The results did not come even after meeting with Myanmar. Finally, in May 2023, a feasibility study and pilot project for repatriation was also taken up with the consent of the country. More than a year has passed since the project was taken up. However, it is known that no initiative has helped to return even one Rohingya sheltered in this country to Myanmar.
I want to say, on the one hand, there is no progress in the repatriation of Rohingya. On the other hand, the number of Rohingyas in Myanmar is increasing due to the fierce war between the rebels and the junta government. Due to the fighting going on near the border of Bangladesh, there are fears that the Rohingyas are trying to infiltrate the country again. It should also be noted that the United Nations says that now is not the right time to repatriate the Rohingya. And international relations analysts working on the Rohingyas say that Myanmar’s fragile internal situation is a big obstacle in the way of Rohingya repatriation. Change of power has also happened in Bangladesh. According to analysts, the Rohingya repatriation issue is now facing a deep crisis in the changed situation.
Due to the current internal conflict situation in Myanmar, the repatriation of Rohingyas has become more complicated.
I want to say that the Rohingya repatriation issue is facing a deep crisis – there is no way to avoid it. For good reason, the situation needs to be monitored and necessary initiatives should be continued to address this crisis. It should be said that on the seventh anniversary of the arrival of Rohingya refugees, the United Nations Refugee Agency has once again called on the international community for continuous efforts. The call has been made to ensure the protection of the Rohingyas who have taken refuge in Bangladesh and to help them find a permanent solution to their plight. We hope that this call will be heeded and that international initiatives to resolve the Rohingya crisis will also be more robust.
I want to say, on the one hand, there is no way to avoid the Rohingya crisis. Similarly, the threat of Rohingya infiltration should also be taken into account. Earlier, various sources claimed that the Rohingyas continued to try to enter Bangladesh through the border due to the increase in firing and clashes in Myanmar’s Rakhine. However, it was also known that the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is on maximum alert to prevent them from entering. Consequently, the overall situation must be taken into account.
After all, it has been discussed at various times before that Myanmar created the Rohingya crisis, and their political responsibility was to solve it. As a result, it is desirable for Myanmar to take back the Rohingya citizens while preserving political power. It is important to remember that the question of how long the Rohingyas will have to bear the pressure in Bangladesh, which is populated by more than 170 million Bangladeshi citizens, is not unreasonable. Which should be considered by the international community as well. Giving asylum to Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds does not mean that they have to be kept forever. It is now a big burden for Bangladesh. As a result, the Rohingyas should be taken back with full rights as citizens under fair management. Necessary steps should be taken to resolve the Rohingya crisis.
For seven years, there have been many attempts and discussions about the repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar. But nothing worked. Due to the current internal conflict situation in Myanmar, the repatriation of Rohingyas has become more complicated. The Rohingya crisis is getting more and more difficult as the days go by. Already, the Rohingya repatriation issue has somehow been hidden from the international community. So, the Rohingyas staying in Bangladesh are worried about their future.
There are allegations that the Myanmar government is creating terrorists among the Rohingyas in the camps despite showing some activities to take back the Rohingyas. Rohingyas themselves claim that their main goal is to prove Rohingyas as terrorists in the international arena and prevent their repatriation.
The Rohingya shelter camp at Ukhia-Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar has become a terrorist sanctuary. It is known that many armed terrorist groups have been formed inside and outside the camp based on various crimes including drugs and domination. It also includes incidents like shootings over trivial incidents inside the camp almost every day. Criminality is increasing day by day among the Rohingya population of Myanmar who have taken refuge in this country. Not only inside the camp, there is also information about the zero line of the border of Ghumdhum at Naikshyongchari on the border of Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban and the establishment of criminal bases on the nearby islands.
In fact, the frustration of the Rohingya sheltered in Bangladesh is intensifying due to the lack of a suitable environment to return to Myanmar after a long time. As a result, various security concerns and unstable situations are created. Crime and human trafficking have emerged as regional security threats in Myanmar and across Southeast Asia.
Human trafficking of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis from the coasts of Myanmar and Bangladesh to various countries including Malaysia, and Thailand has now become a serious problem. In addition to repatriation, what can be done for a sustainable solution to the Rohingya problem is widely discussed.
Apart from looking into why the steps taken in the past are not yielding results, timely steps should be taken to solve this problem. In the coming days, new donor groups must be found to continue the relief assistance to deal with this crisis. The only solution to this crisis is their return to their own country. Strong initiatives should be taken to end the deadlock prevailing in this regard. After the Gen-Z revolution in Bangladesh, vigorous diplomatic efforts to repatriate Rohingyas to Myanmar should continue.
The writer is a Bangladesh-based independent columnist and freelance journalist.