Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has delivered a powerful call to the international community, urging governments, humanitarian agencies, and global institutions to act decisively in addressing the protracted Rohingya crisis. He warned that continued inaction would not only entrench the suffering of an already persecuted people but would also deepen regional instability, fueling ethnic cleansing, statelessness, and long-term humanitarian catastrophe.
According to Yunus, the plight of the Rohingya has reached what he described as a “critical turning point.” Sympathy and rhetorical support, he argued, are no longer enough. What is now required is immediate, coordinated, and concrete global action that prioritizes justice, human dignity, and a durable political solution.
Speaking at the Stakeholders’ Dialogue: Takeaways to the High-Level Conference on the Rohingya Situation on August 24 in Cox’s Bazar, Yunus unveiled a seven-point plan that he described as a practical and comprehensive roadmap for the safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to their ancestral homeland in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
The plan emphasized the need to recognize the Rohingya’s historic connection to Rakhine, to guarantee them citizenship and fundamental rights, and to ensure that repatriation is voluntary, safe, and permanent. Yunus stressed that any superficial or symbolic attempt at return would only risk repeating the cycle of persecution and forced displacement.
“This crisis began in Myanmar, and it must ultimately be resolved in Myanmar,” Yunus said, while underscoring that international accountability and pressure are indispensable. “Without global solidarity, Myanmar’s armed actors will feel emboldened to continue their campaign of ethnic cleansing.”
Professor Yunus, in his capacity as Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, arrived in Cox’s Bazar on the morning of August 25 aboard a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight. From the airport, he proceeded directly to the Inani Bay Watch Hotel, where he formally inaugurated the central session of the three-day international dialogue.
The gathering brought together an unusually diverse range of participants: senior Bangladeshi government officials, diplomats, representatives of the United Nations and international organizations, humanitarian agencies, civil society leaders, and crucially, Rohingya representatives from both refugee camps and the diaspora.
The dialogue was timed to consolidate perspectives before the issue is raised at the United Nations High-Level Conference on the Rohingya Crisis, scheduled for September 30 in New York. That meeting is expected to draw representatives from nearly 170 countries and will not only revisit the plight of the Rohingya but also examine the persecution of other minority groups across Myanmar.
The Chief Adviser’s speech coincided with the 8th Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day, commemorating the mass exodus of August 2017. Within weeks of systematic attacks by the Myanmar military, nearly 800,000 Rohingyas fled across the border into Bangladesh, joining smaller waves of earlier refugees.
Yunus reminded the audience that the persecution has not stopped. Despite international condemnation, reports continue to emerge of fresh violence, forced displacements, and widespread human rights abuses. Refugees are still crossing into Bangladesh, seeking safety from atrocities.
“On this fateful day, it is our moral responsibility to take the right side of history and stop the armed actors from carrying out their horrible design of ethnic cleansing,” Yunus declared. “It would be a historic blunder if we wait until the very last Rohingya leaves Rakhine. We cannot let this happen.”
Today, Bangladesh hosts approximately 1.3 million Rohingya refugees, the majority crowded into sprawling camps in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char island. Each year, an estimated 32,000 babies are born in these camps, compounding already immense humanitarian and logistical challenges.
By contrast, fewer than 500,000 Rohingyas remain inside Myanmar, starkly illustrating the scale of forced displacement. For Bangladesh, the burden has been profound.
“Over the last eight years, the people of Bangladesh, particularly the host community in Cox’s Bazar, have been making tremendous sacrifices,” Yunus acknowledged. “The impact on our economy, resources, environment, society, and governance has been enormous. We do not foresee any further scope for mobilizing resources from our domestic capacity.”
Yunus also tied the Rohingya issue to Bangladesh’s broader democratic transformation. He referred to last year’s mass student-led movement that toppled what he called a “fascist regime.” The interim government, which he now leads, is preparing for national elections scheduled for February 2026.
“The process will only be complete when we see that we have also achieved this goal: to have all our Rohingya guests return to their own home in their own environment,” Yunus said, suggesting that resolving the Rohingya crisis should form part of Bangladesh’s national renewal.
Yunus laid out a seven-point strategy:
- Secure the Right of Return– Recognize the Rohingyas’ inalienable connection to Rakhine and establish a concrete roadmap for safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation.
- Guarantee Humanitarian Support– Fill urgent funding gaps in the 2025–26 Joint Response Plan and ensure sustainable, long-term financing.
- End Violence Immediately– Pressure Myanmar authorities and the Arakan Army to halt attacks, protect remaining Rohingyas, and allow internally displaced persons to return home.
- Foster Dialogue and Reconciliation– Create platforms for trust-building between Rohingyas and other ethnic groups in Rakhine.
- Strengthen Regional Role– Encourage ASEAN, neighboring countries, and partners like Japan to stabilize Rakhine while combating human trafficking and cross-border arms smuggling.
- Apply International Pressure– Use diplomatic and economic measures to press Myanmar and its armed groups toward resolution and to prevent further ethnic cleansing.
- Ensure Justice and Accountability– Support legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC), enforce provisional measures, and prosecute perpetrators of genocide and crimes against humanity.
To highlight the importance of international solidarity, Yunus recalled UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s visit to Cox’s Bazar during Ramadan in March. Guterres fasted alongside nearly 150,000 Rohingya refugees and broke the fast with them at sunset.
“This was a wonderful gesture, uplifting the morale of the people of Bangladesh and the Rohingyas around the globe,” Yunus said, adding that such symbolic acts should be matched by concrete diplomatic and financial commitments.
The August 25 session began with a one-minute silence in memory of genocide victims, followed by the screening of a documentary on Rohingya suffering.
The event was attended by a wide range of stakeholders: High Representative on Rohingya Affairs and National Security Adviser Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, diplomats, international NGOs, UN agencies, humanitarian groups, and civil society activists. Importantly, Rohingya representatives themselves participated actively, ensuring that their voices were heard in shaping policy.
Cross-party political unity was also evident. Leaders from the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, and Gono Odhikar Parishad joined the dialogue, signaling that the Rohingya issue has become a rare point of national consensus in Bangladesh’s otherwise polarized political climate.
Dr. Khalilur Rahman urged stakeholders not to lose momentum. “Rhetorical commitments are no longer enough. What we need is concrete international action,” he stressed.
The dialogue is structured around five thematic sessions: humanitarian assistance and funding, the evolving security and political landscape in Rakhine, strategies for building trust for repatriation, ensuring justice and accountability, and long-term sustainable solutions.
The outcomes from Cox’s Bazar will directly feed into the UN high-level conference in New York next month, where world leaders will be urged to recommit to the Rohingya cause.
Concluding his address, Yunus issued an emotional appeal for collective moral courage.
“Your solidarity with the Rohingya and amplifying their voice can be a beacon of hope in reversing their marginalization and persecution,” he said. “Let us all join hands and declare our determination to contribute to their dignified return, ensuring justice and accountability.”