Staff Reporter :
Thousands of Rohingya clerics gathered in a powerful rally at Ukhiya Camp in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday, calling for urgent action to ensure their safe and dignified repatriation to Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
The rally, which took place on the morning of December 25, drew significant attention as it highlighted the growing frustration within the Rohingya community over their prolonged displacement.
The event took place in a field adjacent to Block E/6 of Camp-1 West in Ukhiya, beginning at around 10:00 a.m. and concluding by noon. Rohingya leaders addressed the gathering, emphasizing the need for unity and a concerted effort to return to their homeland.
Rohingya leader Dil Mohammad, who spoke at the rally, expressed the community’s longing to return to Rakhine, stating, “The Rohingya nation once had its own address, houses, properties, and identity. For centuries, the Myanmar junta government deprived us of civil rights, subjected us to repression, burned our homes, and expelled us from Rakhine in 2017.”
He further added, “We have been living in makeshift shacks in Bangladeshi camps since then. It is impossible to live in another country indefinitely, leaving behind our ancestral homeland. This rally is a step toward uniting the Rohingya community to strategize our return to Rakhine, Myanmar.”
Another Rohingya leader, Maulvi Rahmat Karim, made a more militant declaration, saying, “We, the Rohingya people, are prepared to shed our blood for the independence of our homeland, Myanmar. If necessary, we will go to Arakan and liberate it with our sacrifices rather than remain confined to these camps.”
Md. Siraj Amin, Commander of the Ukhiya-14 Armed Police Battalion (Additional DIG), confirmed the rally, noting that it was organized by Rohingya muftis and clerics. He emphasized that the event ended peacefully without any untoward incidents.
The rally serves as a powerful reminder of the growing determination among the Rohingya community to reclaim their rights and return to their homeland, despite the challenges surrounding the repatriation process.
It underscores the continuing struggle of the displaced community, which remains in limbo after fleeing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017.
