Bangladesh taps Malaysia to fix Rohingya crisis

Staff Reporter :

Bangladesh has called on Malaysia, in its capacity as ASEAN Chair, to use its influence in mobilising international efforts for a lasting resolution to the protracted Rohingya refugee crisis.

Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the Bangladesh government, highlighted Malaysia’s unique position, given its dual role as a country hosting Rohingya refugees and as the current leader of ASEAN.

“We are hoping that Malaysia will put its influence into the negotiations to ensure we can overcome this problem,” Yunus told Malaysia’s national news agency, Bernama, in an exclusive interview ahead of the conclusion of his official visit.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate warned that the situation is worsening due to escalating clashes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State between the Arakan Army and government forces, which have driven new waves of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh.

“In the last 18 months alone, 150,000 new Rohingyas have arrived, in addition to the 1.2 million already in Bangladesh. It is becoming more acute. Worst of all, the US has cut off all funding to maintain them. So that is a huge problem for us,” he said.

Prof. Yunus also announced that three international conferences on the Rohingya crisis are scheduled in the coming months. The first will be held in Cox’s Bazar at the end of this month, marking the eighth anniversary of Bangladesh taking responsibility for Rohingya refugees.

The second will take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September, followed by a third in Doha, Qatar, at the end of the year.

Efforts to repatriate refugees remain stalled due to the ongoing armed conflict in Myanmar, which has persisted since 2021. The prolonged crisis continues to affect not only Bangladesh but also several ASEAN countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.