Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday called for an immediate, credible and time-bound roadmap for the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar, saying the international community must move beyond humanitarian assistance to addressing the root causes of the protracted crisis.
Speaking at a high-level side event on the Rohingya crisis in New York, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh had fulfilled its humanitarian responsibility by sheltering more than 1.2 million Rohingyas for over nine years, but the country could not be expected to bear the responsibility indefinitely.
“The crisis originated in Myanmar. Its solution also lies in Myanmar,” he said, stressing that conditions conducive to safe and dignified repatriation had yet to be established in Rakhine State.
Tarique Rahman said the international and regional stakeholders must work out a clear and credible roadmap for repatriation and use their influence to help create conditions inside Myanmar that would facilitate the return of the displaced Rohingyas.
He also called for an end to violence against Rohingyas and other civilians in Myanmar and urged the protection of their fundamental rights and security in their homeland so that they could regain confidence in returning.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh was providing food and healthcare to the Rohingyas and education based on the Myanmar curriculum through nearly 6,000 learning centres. Skills development and capacity-building programmes were also being provided to prepare young Rohingyas for their eventual reintegration in Rakhine State.
However, he said the prolonged displacement was imposing growing social, economic, environmental and security pressures on Bangladesh, particularly on host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
Tarique Rahman warned that prolonged uncertainty and frustration were creating new challenges, including human trafficking, migrant smuggling, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes. He noted that some Rohingyas were taking dangerous sea routes towards Malaysia.
The Prime Minister expressed concern over declining humanitarian funding. He said the 2025 Joint Response Plan sought more than $934 million, while the 2026 appeal had been reduced to around $710 million, covering only minimum life-saving needs.
He urged the international community to ensure adequate and predictable humanitarian assistance for both Rohingya refugees and host communities.
Tarique Rahman also stressed the importance of justice and accountability for sustainable repatriation, expressing gratitude to Gambia for its leadership in pursuing accountability at the International Court of Justice and recognising the role of the International Criminal Court and other international judicial and investigative mechanisms.
He further called for stronger regional and international cooperation to combat drug-based economies, human trafficking, digital fraud, illicit arms and other cross-border crimes contributing to instability in the region.
“Bangladesh does not want the Rohingyas to remain displaced forever,” he said, adding that Bangladesh would be ready to facilitate their return once the necessary conditions were created.
He urged the international community to ensure that the Rohingya story becomes one of justice, dignity and hope rather than continued persecution, expulsion and displacement.