Bangladesh Ignores UN Proposal for Rohingya Land

The United Nations has requested additional land to accommodate Rohingya refugees forcibly displaced from Myanmar to Bangladesh. However, the Bangladesh government has not responded to the proposal, Foreign Ministry sources confirmed on Saturday (June 20).

Instead, Bangladesh reiterated its strong demand for the rapid and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya. Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN, made this call during a briefing by the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Myanmar on Friday.

He stated that because the crisis originated in Myanmar, its permanent solution must be found there. Bangladesh has sheltered around 1.2 million Rohingya refugees for nearly a decade on humanitarian grounds. However, this prolonged stay is creating severe social, economic, environmental, and security pressures.

Ambassador Chowdhury noted that the large refugee population heavily strains local communities and national resources, making an urgent and sustainable solution critical. Reaffirming Bangladesh's commitment to a peaceful resolution, he urged the international community and regional partners to intensify diplomatic efforts. He emphasized the need to create a conducive environment for safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable repatriation.

He stressed that the Rohingya want to return home, making repatriation the only viable long-term solution. He also called for continued global cooperation to address the root causes of the crisis and to hold accountable those who forced the Rohingya to flee.

Before 2017, at least 400,000 Rohingya lived in Bangladesh. Following a military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State starting on August 25, 2017, another 750,000 crossed the border within months, bringing the total to approximately 1.2 million today