Last Updated on March 11, 2026 9:11 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh has warned that hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees is becoming an increasingly “unsustainable” humanitarian, economic and security burden, urging stronger international action to ensure their safe return to Myanmar.
Speaking at the 26th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting in London, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman called for coordinated diplomatic pressure to resolve one of the world’s longest-running displacement crises. “Hosting such a large displaced population for an extended period has placed immense pressure on Bangladesh’s resources, environment and security,” Khalilur said.
Nearly a decade after Myanmar’s 2017 military crackdown in Rakhine State, Bangladesh continues to host the world’s largest concentration of Rohingya refugees in camps in Cox’s Bazar. Officials warned that the crisis is entering a phase of donor fatigue as humanitarian aid declines while new Rohingya continue to cross the border.
Aid agencies say funding cuts are already affecting food rations, education and health services in the camps, raising risks of human trafficking and irregular migration across the Bay of Bengal.
Bangladesh reiterated that repatriation to Myanmar remains the only sustainable solution, though previous attempts failed due to the absence of security guarantees, citizenship rights and protection for Rohingya communities.
Khalilur urged the international community to pursue political solutions beyond humanitarian assistance.
“The conditions necessary for safe, voluntary and dignified return must be created in Myanmar,” he said.
The Bangladesh delegation included Prime Minister’s foreign affairs adviser Humayun Kabir and other senior officials.