Staff Reporter :
Approximately 8,000 Rohingyas have recently crossed into Bangladesh, fleeing escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, according to Md Touhid Hossain, Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser.
Hossain made the announcement on Tuesday, emphasising the urgency of the situation as the influx places additional strain on Bangladesh’s already overburdened refugee system.
“I have received reports that approximately 8,000 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh. We will hold a serious discussion in the cabinet within the next 2-3 days to address this situation,” Hossain informed reporters at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday afternoon.
The latest exodus of Rohingyas comes amid renewed armed conflict in Rakhine State, where the Arakan Army, a rebel group, has been engaged in clashes with Myanmar’s military forces. This conflict has further destabilised the region, forcing many Rohingyas to seek refuge across the border in Bangladesh.
However, Bangladesh has reached its limit in terms of accommodating refugees. Hossain indicated that the government has decided, in principle, not to shelter any more forcibly displaced Rohingyas. “While we sympathise with the persecuted Rohingya, Bangladesh no longer has the capacity to provide humanitarian shelter to additional refugees,” he said.
Despite efforts to secure the border with Myanmar, Hossain acknowledged the challenges of fully sealing it. “It is not fully possible to seal the border,” he said, though he added that the government would continue to take measures to prevent further entries.
The Foreign Affairs Adviser also revealed plans to meet with the Home Affairs Adviser in the coming days to discuss strategies for managing the situation. A key point of discussion will likely involve how to prevent further crossings and address the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
When questioned about the prospects for repatriation, Hossain suggested that Bangladesh might need to establish a communication channel with the Arakan Army to facilitate the return of Rohingyas to Rakhine State. “I think this is the way forward, but we have to assess how much can be done at the state level,” he said.
Since August 25, 2017, Bangladesh has been hosting over a million forcibly displaced Rohingyas in the Cox’s Bazar district. The majority of these refugees arrived following a military crackdown in Myanmar, which the United Nations has described as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” while other human rights groups have labelled it as “genocide.”
Despite multiple attempts to repatriate the Rohingyas, no progress has been made in the last seven years. Myanmar had agreed to take them back, but repatriation efforts have failed twice, primarily due to a lack of trust among the Rohingyas regarding their safety and security in Rakhine State.