International conference on Rohingya crisis opens in Cox’s Bazar on Monday
PARBATTA NEWS ONLINE DESK
An international conference on the Rohingya crisis is scheduled to open in Cox’s Bazar on Monday, 25 August, marking the eighth anniversary of the mass influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh.
The event will take place at Hotel Bay Watch in Inani, Ukhiya upazila. Cox’s Bazar Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Imran Hossain Sajib confirmed that the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, will attend as chief guest.
Government officials said the interim administration wants to use the Cox’s Bazar discussions to re-engage the international community in efforts to resolve the Rohingya crisis.
They said the government is also focusing on securing political and financial support from regional alliances, including partners in the Middle East and ASEAN.
According to officials, the conference aims to mobilise more funding for displaced Rohingyas and to strengthen international efforts for their repatriation to Rakhine. The event has been titled “Stakeholder Dialogue: Messages for High-Level Conferences on the Rohingya Situation.”
The meeting is expected to bring together foreign ministers from several countries, international envoys on Rohingya affairs, representatives of Bangladeshi missions abroad and delegates from United Nations agencies.
The mass movement of Rohingyas into Bangladesh began on 25 August 2017, when thousands fled atrocities carried out by Myanmar’s military.
Eight years later, the crisis has lost much of the international attention it once received. Officials noted that global focus has shifted to other crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022 and the escalation of violence in Gaza in 2024.
Humanitarian support for Rohingyas has also declined steadily in recent years.
Officials said that since large parts of Rakhine State have come under the control of the Arakan Army, prospects for repatriation have become increasingly unlikely. Many Rohingyas, they added, have lost hope of returning home.
Reliable sources said the Cox’s Bazar conference will run for three days — 24, 25 and 26 August — and will include plenary discussions, cultural programmes and exhibitions on refugee camps.
On 24 and 25 August, five working sessions will be held focusing on humanitarian assistance and the possibility of repatriation. On 26 August, international guests are scheduled to visit Rohingya camps.
Officials added that the Cox’s Bazar discussions will be used to prepare a position paper for a high-level meeting on the Rohingya issue at the United Nations on 30 September, where Bangladesh expects participation from 170 countries.
A further international conference on the crisis is planned in Doha, Qatar, in December.
At a briefing in Dhaka on Sunday, 18 August, National Security Adviser and High Representative on Rohingya Affairs Khalilur Rahman said the Cox’s Bazar event is part of preparations for the larger UN meeting.
He described the UN conference as “a major opportunity to find a lasting and genuine solution for the Rohingyas and for the global community.”
Dr Rahman added: “At one stage the Rohingya issue was almost dropped from the international agenda. In this situation, last year the Chief Adviser attended the UN General Assembly and called on all member states to hold an international conference.
“This call received an immediate and unanimous response, and the UN General Assembly decided to convene this conference. A total of 106 countries have sponsored it. Now there is substantial international support.”
The high-level meeting on the Rohingya issue will take place in New York on 30 September, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Another international conference is scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar, on 6 December.
