National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman has said Bangladesh is seeking an urgent and permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis, stressing that the refugees must eventually return to their homes.
Speaking to journalists at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Sunday (August 16), he briefed foreign diplomats and international development partners on the latest developments regarding the Rohingya issue.
The adviser said the briefing was part of preparations for the upcoming international conference on the Rohingya crisis to be held at the United Nations on 30 September.
“As you know, the issue was falling off the international agenda. Last year, the Chief Adviser called on all UN member states to convene a global conference. We received immediate support,” he noted.
Rahman said the UN General Assembly had unanimously decided to host the conference, with 106 countries co-sponsoring the initiative. “There is now sufficient international support,” he said.
“This conference is a permanent opportunity to provide a roadmap for an urgent solution for both the Rohingya and the international community. That is why we want to take their voices, their hopes, and their aspirations to this forum.”
He added that while UN member states will participate in the conference, the Rohingya themselves are not members. “Someone must carry their voice. We are doing that in this process, and we are receiving considerable response from the international community,” he said.
Rahman further stated that the messages delivered at the conference—including those from the Rohingya—would form a key component of the UN discussions in September.
Asked about the upcoming conference in Cox’s Bazar on August 25, he reiterated: “The most important point is that we want an urgent and lasting solution. How long can you keep them with international aid? They must return to their homes. That is the real issue.”
He warned that a decline in aid could affect host communities in Bangladesh. “We are trying to ensure support continues. Some donor countries have shown signs of new initiatives. But the most important matter is repatriation,” he stressed.
More than 50 diplomats from missions including the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, Singapore, Turkey, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia attended the Dhaka briefing.
Officials said four conferences on the Rohingya issue are scheduled between August and December, organised jointly by the United Nations, Qatar, and Bangladesh.
The first, titled Stakeholder Dialogue: Messages for the High-Level Conference on the Rohingya Situation, will take place in Cox’s Bazar on 25 August, coinciding with the eighth anniversary of the Rohingya exodus. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus is expected to attend as the chief guest.
On September 30, a high-level meeting on the Rohingya crisis will be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, followed by an international conference in Doha, Qatar, on December 6.
The Cox’s Bazar conference is expected to be attended by foreign ministers from several countries, international envoys on the Rohingya issue, representatives from Bangladesh’s overseas missions, and various UN agencies. Rohingya refugees from camps in Cox’s Bazar, as well as representatives from abroad, are also scheduled to participate.
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