The Government of Australia and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday signed a humanitarian assistance agreement worth 16 million Australian dollars (around Tk 137 crore) to improve the living conditions of Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh.

The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat in the presence of Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed.

Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Susan Ryle and UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh Rana Flowers signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Home Minister expressed gratitude to the Australian government for its continued support to the Rohingya response and the host communities.

He said Bangladesh expects sustained assistance from the international community, including Australia, until the Rohingya can return to Myanmar voluntarily, safely, with dignity and in a sustainable manner.

Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Manzur Morshed Chowdhury, senior officials of the ministry, and representatives from the Australian High Commission and UNICEF Bangladesh were also present.

The agreement forms part of Australia’s broader humanitarian assistance package of 370 million Australian dollars (around Tk 3,162 crore) for Myanmar and Rohingya and host communities in Bangladesh for the 2026–2028 period.

Since 2017, Australia has provided a total of 1.26 billion Australian dollars (approximately Tk 10,770 crore), including this latest contribution, to address the regional Rohingya crisis.

Under the new agreement, UNICEF will use the funding to support education, nutrition, child protection, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services for Rohingya refugees and host communities.