Rohingya Khobor . Cox’s Bazar, August 21, 2025.
Bangladesh’s interim government is set to host a three-day international conference in Cox’s Bazar beginning August 25, bringing together global stakeholders to address the protracted Rohingya refugee crisis. Officials say the dialogue is aimed at reviving international focus on the issue and preparing a roadmap for the safe and dignified return of Rohingyas to Myanmar.
High-Level Participation
Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus will attend the conference on Monday, while sessions will continue until Tuesday. According to Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, the Cox’s Bazar event is part of Bangladesh’s wider strategy to keep the Rohingya issue on the global agenda. Two more international conferences are planned this year, one in New York on September 30 during the UN General Assembly and another in Doha, Qatar, on December 6.
The Cox’s Bazar gathering will include Rohingya representatives, delegates from 40 countries, diplomats based in Dhaka, and representatives of various UN agencies. A special session with Rohingya representatives is scheduled for Sunday. Discussions will focus on repatriation, humanitarian funding, and a comprehensive long-term roadmap for return.
Bangladesh’s Diplomatic Push
Foreign Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain told reporters that the government is working on three fronts:
- Ensuring an uninterrupted flow of international funding.
- Keeping the Rohingya issue visible despite competing global crises.
- Securing the safe and dignified return of Rohingyas to Myanmar.
“The issue should not be forgotten. We continuously bring it into focus,” he said.
Bangladesh has been hosting over 1.3 million Rohingya refugees, which has created mounting humanitarian, environmental, and security-related challenges. At a recent OIC meeting, Adviser Touhid said:
“We are facing immense pressure. The crisis has gone beyond a refugee issue — it is now a developmental and security challenge.”
Humanitarian Crisis Worsens
The situation in the camps has deteriorated amid funding cuts. Human Rights Watch recently reported that more than 437,000 school-age Rohingya children face a deepening education crisis, with many NGO-run learning centers suspended due to resource shortages. Only community-run schools remain, with no outside support or official recognition.
Meanwhile, UNHCR and humanitarian partners are struggling to respond to the influx of nearly 150,000 new refugees over the past 18 months — the largest wave since 2017. By June 2025, around 121,000 new arrivals had been biometrically registered, but many others remain outside the formal system in overcrowded conditions.
Aid workers warn that without renewed international funding, food rations, education, and health services will face further collapse.
Eight Years in Limbo
This conference comes at a critical moment, eight years after the 2017 exodus that forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas into Bangladesh. With international funding drying up and violence in Myanmar escalating, the stakes are higher than ever.
The Cox’s Bazar talks will test whether the global community is prepared to go beyond words and deliver meaningful support — not only to sustain refugees in Bangladesh but also to ensure a path home with rights, dignity, and justice.
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