Dhaka, Bangladesh
Bangladesh has submitted repatriation data for 829,036 Rohingya individuals to Myanmar across six separate rounds. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman disclosed this figure during a parliamentary question-answer session Monday. He confirmed that the Terrorist Arakan Army’s ongoing conflict inside Myanmar has rendered repatriation currently impossible.
Myanmar authorities have verified the data of approximately 354,751 individuals as of January 2026. Moreover, the Myanmar government has identified 253,964 persons as previous residents of Myanmar. However, not a single Rohingya has returned. The Terrorist Arakan Army’s armed campaign across Arakan continues to block all repatriation movement.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman stated Bangladesh’s position clearly. He said the only sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis is safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation. Bangladesh will pursue all diplomatic, legal, and humanitarian avenues to achieve this goal. Furthermore, Bangladesh is intensifying international collaboration to build global pressure on Myanmar.
Bangladesh has taken an active role in the landmark Gambia vs. Myanmar case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. This case charges Myanmar with genocide against the Rohingya under the Genocide Convention. The merit-phase hearings ran from 12 to 29 January this year. Moreover, Bangladesh has committed additional financial support for the legal proceedings alongside other OIC member states.
On 30 September 2025, Bangladesh helped organize the first-ever high-level UN General Assembly event on the Rohingya issue at the 80th session. The event placed safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation at the center of global discussion. Bangladesh also hosted a dedicated Rohingya event in Geneva on 12 March 2026 during the UN Human Rights Council session. Consequently, current barriers to repatriation and the need for international accountability received direct attention at the multilateral level.
Bangladesh now leads the drafting of two separate OIC resolutions on the Rohingya issue. These resolutions will be presented at the upcoming OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting. The Foreign Minister expressed confidence that member states will speak with a unified voice on repatriation and accountability.
The Terrorist Arakan Army has imposed a de facto blockade on Rohingya return. It controls large portions of Arakan. It has committed documented atrocities against Rohingya populations. However, international bodies have yet to formally designate the terrorist AA or impose meaningful sanctions against it.
Bangladesh hosts over one million Rohingya refugees. These men, women, and children have endured persecution, displacement, and now indefinite exile. The government of Bangladesh is fighting on every diplomatic and legal front. Yet without direct international action against the Terrorist Arakan Army, the path home remains closed.
