By: Camp Correspondent
March 30, 2025
Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has extended his Eid-ul-Fitr greetings to the people of Bangladesh and to the more than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees currently sheltering in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, expressing his sincere hope that the community will be able to mark next year’s Eid in their rightful homeland—Arakan.
In a message shared from his verified Facebook page on March 30, the Chief Adviser wrote,
“Eid Mubarak to everyone. On this safe and joyful Eid, let us remember that over 1.2 million guests are still in distress in our country. I pray that they may be able to celebrate the next Eid in their own homeland.”
His post included a video clip produced by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, highlighting the plight and dignity of the Rohingya people who remain stranded in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine (Arakan) State.
Since the mass exodus in 2017, the Rohingya community has been living under harsh restrictions in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, with no access to formal education, freedom of movement, or opportunities for a dignified livelihood. Despite repeated calls from the international community, repatriation efforts have remained stalled due to insecurity and the continued denial of rights in Myanmar.
The Chief Adviser’s Eid message resonates with the aspirations of many Rohingya, who have long expressed their desire to return home with dignity, citizenship, and safety.
He is scheduled to attend the main Eid-ul-Fitr congregation at the National Eidgah in Dhaka at 8:30 AM on March 31 and will later meet with diplomats, civil society members, and religious leaders at his office in Tejgaon.
As the region enters another Eid, Professor Yunus’s statement has drawn renewed attention to the unresolved humanitarian crisis in southeastern Bangladesh. Rohingya community leaders welcomed the Chief Adviser’s words and urged continued diplomatic engagement to secure their long-awaited return to Arakan.
“We appreciate the Chief Adviser’s message. It gives us hope,” said a Rohingya elder in Camp 12. “But more than words, we need action. We are ready to return to Arakan, if our rights and safety are guaranteed.”
