Bangladesh Urges UN Action to Resolve Rohingya Crisis Amid Myanmar’s Delay Tactics

Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister on Friday requested for coordinated efforts by UN agencies to address the longstanding Rohingya refugee crisis, accusing neighboring Myanmar of using internal conflicts as a pretext to delay the repatriation of the persecuted Muslim group, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

In meetings with UN officials in New York, Hasan Mahmud highlighted the benefits of joint initiatives by UN agencies, particularly in conflict-afflicted regions, the source mentioned.

Bangladesh is currently hosting around 1.3 million Rohingya refugees who fled a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in 2017.

Mahmud said the “ongoing conflict situation in Myanmar is not a new phenomenon, and it should not be used as an excuse against Rohingya repatriation.” He warned that the refugee camps in Bangladesh have become a hub for various crimes, including human trafficking, drug smuggling, and terrorism, due to the delay in repatriation.

He stressed the need to prevent further casualties spilling over into Bangladesh from the conflict in Myanmar.

Meanwhile, a major fire on Saturday engulfed hundreds of shelters, shops, and other facilities in refugee camps in the southeastern coast of Bangladesh, leaving 1,200 Rohingya shelterless.

Authorities confirmed that a total of 175 shelters, 40 shops, one learning center, and one Islamic school were burned in the fire.