by Hafizur Rahman, Cox’s Bazar, August 25, 2025
Bangladesh’s interim leader and Nobel peace laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has urged the international community to act decisively for justice and the safe repatriation of the Rohingya, warning that Bangladesh can no longer shoulder the growing burden of hosting 1.5 million refugees.
Speaking at an international conference in Cox’s Bazar on the eighth anniversary of the Rohingya genocide, Yunus presented a seven-point plan calling for:
- An immediate end to violence in Myanmar
- Dialogue platforms to reduce ethnic tensions
- Stronger ASEAN and regional engagement
- Renewed accountability efforts at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC)
“Their right to return to their homeland must be secured. The time for action is now,” Yunus declared, urging donors to reverse declining humanitarian aid at a time when food and health services are under severe strain.
Eight Years Since Genocide
Nearly 800,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in August 2017 after a violent military crackdown described by the United Nations as genocide. Thousands were killed, villages were razed, and survivors stripped of citizenship. Since then, thousands more have crossed into Bangladesh, straining resources and forcing food rations in the camps down to as little as $12 per person per month.
Rights groups marked the anniversary with a joint statement demanding justice. Patrick Phongsathorn of Fortify Rights said:
“Eight years on, not a single person has been held criminally responsible. This is a deep stain on the world’s conscience.”
He called on the UN Security Council to refer Myanmar to the ICC.
Rohingya Voices from the Camps
Al Jazeera reported that Rohingya refugees across camps in Cox’s Bazar staged demonstrations, demanding justice for the genocide and the right to return home. Protesters carried banners declaring their identity and calling for international accountability.
“We are tired of being trapped in these camps with no future,” said one young refugee leader. “We want justice, dignity, and the right to live safely in our homeland.”
Uncertain Prospects for Repatriation
Repatriation remains unlikely as fighting continues in Rakhine State, where the Myanmar junta and the Arakan Army are locked in conflict. The Cox’s Bazar conference is seen as a critical step ahead of the UN high-level meeting on September 30 in New York, but hopes for safe return remain slim amid Myanmar’s deepening instability and dwindling global funding.
For the Rohingya, the anniversary is a reminder of both the horrors of 2017 and the ongoing struggle for justice and dignity. As candles were lit in memory of the dead, the message was clear: survival is not enough — only justice and safe return can bring peace.
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