Staff Reporter :
Over the past seven years, the Rohingya crisis has significantly worsened rather than moving towards a resolution.
This has compounded the refugee situation, creating substantial challenges for Bangladesh.
Ongoing internal conflicts in Myanmar continue to destabilise the region, prompting fresh incursions of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh, further escalating the humanitarian crisis in South Asia.
Since 2017, Bangladesh has been hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees. However, the Myanmar government has yet to take any proactive steps to repatriate them.
Under these circumstances, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain recently revealed to the media that an additional 8,000 Rohingyas had entered Bangladesh.
Sources have indicated that many more Rohingyas are awaiting opportunities along the Myanmar border to cross into Bangladesh, fleeing the violent conflicts ravaging their homeland.
When questioned about the government’s stance on the influx of Rohingyas, the Foreign Affairs Adviser stated on Sunday, “We have made it very clear that it is no longer possible for us to provide shelter to even one more R “We are aware that some individuals are still entering, and we are doing everything possible to prevent this.
Those whom we manage to catch, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is sending them back daily,” he added.
Responding to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) request to continue sheltering Rohingyas, he said, “UNHCR wants us to provide refuge, but we have made it clear that we have already provided shelter to 1.2 million Rohingyas.”
“We have fulfilled our obligations far beyond what was expected. It is no longer feasible for us to do more. Those offering advice or suggestions should instead take the Rohingyas away,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, local officials in Cox’s Bazar report that over 200 brokers are facilitating the illegal entry of Rohingyas from Myanmar into Bangladesh through the Ukhiya-Teknaf border since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
Rohingyas, according to sources, first travel to the Naf River, where brokers with boats help them cross into Bangladesh. M Gafuruddin Chowdhury, chairman of the Ukhiya Panglakhali Union Parishad, told The New Nation on Sunday, “We have reports that between 5,000 and 8,000 Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh in a week, but the Border Guard Bangladesh does not acknowledge it.”
He urged the authorities to adopt stricter measures to prevent the situation from deteriorating further. He also noted that brokers are charging between Tk20,000 and Tk30,000 to assist Rohingyas in crossing the border.
Nur Hossain, Chairman of Teknaf Sabarang Union Parishad, added that Rohingyas gather at the Palong Khali border areas during the daytime and cross into Bangladesh at night with the help of brokers.
On 3 September, Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain informed the media that the Muhammad Yunus-led Interim Government has taken the Rohingya issue seriously and plans to hold discussions on the matter in the coming days.
Even after the formation of the Interim Government, Dr Yunus urged diplomats in Dhaka to assist in resolving the Rohingya crisis.