Bangladesh Urges Faster Resettlement for Rohingya Refugees

Bangladesh’s interim government leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has called for expedited third-country resettlement for Rohingya Muslims amid escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, Arab News reported yesterday. Recent clashes between Myanmar’s ruling junta and the Arakan Army have driven approximately 8,000 Rohingya to seek refuge in Bangladesh in recent months, adding to over one million already residing in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Yunus emphasized the need for a “simple, regular, and smooth” resettlement process during a meeting with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Although resettlement efforts resumed in 2022, progress has been slow. The United States has committed to resettling thousands of Rohingya, but the process remains unhurried.

The ongoing violence is the worst since the 2017 military-led crackdown, which the UN described as having genocidal intent. Bangladesh’s foreign minister has urged India and other nations to accept more refugees, stressing that Bangladesh cannot accommodate any additional arrivals.