By: Camp Correspondent
Standing before foreign ministers of the Muslim world, Bangladesh sent out a clear and urgent message this week: The Rohingya crisis is deepening, and silence is no longer an option.
At the OIC Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee meeting on Rohingya justice, held in Istanbul, Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain spoke not only as a diplomat—but as the representative of a nation carrying the weight of 1.3 million displaced people for nearly eight years.
“The Rohingya are not just statistics,” he said. “They are survivors—of genocide, of persecution, of silence. And they deserve justice.”
Camp Numbers Rising, Hopes Shrinking
The numbers tell part of the story. Bangladesh is now sheltering more than 1,005,000 registered Rohingya refugees in 33 overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char island. And that number keeps rising.
Since late 2023, violence in Myanmar has pushed tens of thousands of new arrivals across the border. Aid groups are overwhelmed. Local communities are exhausted. And the Bangladeshi government, already stretched thin, is now warning that the situation is becoming unsustainable.
“Our people have shown generosity beyond measure,” said Hossain. “But we cannot do this alone anymore.”
Inside Myanmar: Starvation and Silence
While Bangladesh speaks out, the situation across the border is turning more dire. The Arakan Army (AA) now controls most of Rakhine State, including key border areas. Humanitarian access has collapsed.
Around 145,000 Rohingya trapped in internment camps in central Rakhine are now at risk of starving, as aid deliveries remain blocked. And with over 3.5 million internally displaced people (IDPs) across Myanmar, the Rohingya are once again becoming the most forgotten.
Funding Cuts: The Future at Risk
Aid is not just short—it’s vanishing.
- On June 3, over 6,400 learning centers in the camps were shut down due to budget shortfalls, cutting off education for 300,000 Rohingya children.
- Food rations, now set at just $12 per month per person in Cox’s Bazar and $13 in Bhasan Char, are only funded until September 2025.
- Malnutrition among children under five is now over 15%, and among children under two, it has crossed 20%.
“We are not only feeding mouths—we are trying to preserve futures,” said one aid worker based in Ukhiya. “And every day we lose funding, we lose hope.”
Justice at the ICJ: A Test of Global Conscience
Bangladesh also asked OIC member states to stand behind The Gambia’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses Myanmar of genocide. That case, many believe, is the only remaining legal path to accountability.
“We ask not just for charity, but for justice,” Hossain said. “Let the ICJ be where the world tells the Rohingya: ‘We hear you. We believe you. We will not forget.’”
A New Conference, A New Chance
Bangladesh announced plans to host a High-Level Conference on Rohingya and Other Minorities in Myanmar on 30 September 2025, in New York, during the UN General Assembly. Dhaka is hoping for strong support from OIC states.
A Plea Echoed in Camps
In Kutupalong Camp, 14-year-old Shamsunnahar hasn’t been to school since June 4. Her classroom is now locked. Her ration card hasn’t changed, but her mother is worried.
“If food stops again,” her mother says, “what will happen to our children?”
That’s the question Bangladesh asked the world this week—not in anger, but in exhaustion. And in hope.
“We have done more than our share,” said Foreign Adviser Hossain. “Now the OIC—and the world—must do theirs.”
