By Md. Rezaur Rahim (Dhaka Bureau)
While the global voices for peace, non-violence, and human rights are drowned out by the clamor of wars in Ukraine, Palestine, or Lebanon, one of the longest-running and most complex refugee crises in human history is silently intensifying in a corner of South Asia. Escaping the brutal killings, rapes, and persecution by the military junta in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017, nearly 1.3 million Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh now face an extremely uncertain future. Even after nine long years, a sustainable and dignified repatriation remains elusive. By sheltering this vast number of displaced people, Bangladesh has become a scapegoat in the dirty ‘geopolitics’ of international superpowers.
An Ever-Increasing Burden
According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, the number of registered Rohingya in the 34 camps of Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya and Teknaf currently stands at nearly 1.4 million. However, the alarming concern is that this number is not static. From 2024 leading up to the current time of 2026, new Rohingya have been crossing the Naf River into Bangladesh almost every month. In the past year alone, an additional 20,000 Rohingya infiltrated into Bangladesh under the cover of night by boat.
While the refugee population increases, international financial aid is dwindling at an alarming rate. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is progressively slashing its budget. Currently, $255.5 million is required annually for the sustenance of the Rohingya, leaving a massive deficit of nearly $155 million. For humanitarian reasons, the weight of this huge deficit is now falling solely on Bangladesh, exerting severe pressure on the country’s fragile economy and environment.
Bangladesh: A Victim of the Geopolitical Game
The reality is that the sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya is now trapped in the geostrategic power struggles of global superpowers. The double standards and political maneuvering of the United States, Russia, China, and regional power India are further prolonging this crisis.
* China and India’s Bias: While the Western world has imposed strict sanctions on Myanmar, China and India, driven by their own geopolitical and economic interests, have so far failed to exert any effective pressure on Myanmar.
* The Civil War in Rakhine: The ongoing civil war between Myanmar’s military junta and the Arakan Army in Rakhine State has complicated the situation even further.
According to experts, the apathy and self-serving games of these superpowers have pushed the lives of 1.3 million people and the national security of Bangladesh into a deep crisis.
The Rohingya issue is a major national crisis for Bangladesh. Ensuring food, housing, and security for this massive population in an already densely populated country is a huge burden for us. We are maintaining our diplomatic efforts. Recently, during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to China, effective cooperation from China regarding this matter was also sought, Asadul Habib Dulu, Minister for Disaster Management and Relief.
Social Unrest and New Threats to Security
This prolonged crisis is not only creating economic pressure but is also causing a social imbalance, pushing the local residents of Cox’s Bazar to the brink of becoming a ‘minority’ in their own land. The illegal trade of drugs and weapons is on the rise within the Rohingya camps.
Most dangerously, the involvement of armed groups like the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in the Rakhine civil war is posing a major security threat to Bangladesh’s border security in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, specifically in the Bandarban, Rangamati, and Khagrachari areas.
Multidimensional Impacts of the Rohingya Crisis:
* Economic: Bearing an annual budget deficit of $155 million.
* Social: Local populations in Ukhiya-Teknaf are on the verge of becoming minorities.
* Environmental: Severe ecological disaster caused by the destruction of hills and forests.
* Security: Proliferation of weapons and drugs in the camps and border instability.
Sustainable Solutions and a Call to the International Community
According to a high-ranking source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, global attention has somewhat shifted away from the Rohingya crisis due to various ongoing wars worldwide.
However, the Government of Bangladesh is working on a specific, long-term, and innovative plan to resolve this life-and-death crisis. Following the historic speech by Bangladesh’s then-Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the UN Headquarters, the current democratic government is also actively pressing for a permanent solution to this crisis in international forums.
Recommendations from Human Rights Organizations and Experts:
1. Establishment of a ‘Safe Zone’: A safe zone for the Rohingya must be secured in Rakhine under United Nations supervision, where they can enjoy civic rights and safety of life.
2. UN Pressure: Resolutions must be passed in the UN General Assembly to apply strict political and economic pressure on Myanmar.
3. Regional Solidarity: India and China must move past their politics of self-interest and stand by Bangladesh for the sake of regional stability.
The very Rohingya whom the Myanmar government strips of citizenship and basic rights, branding them as ‘Bengali Muslims’- are historically integral stakeholders in Myanmar’s independence. Establishing global peace is impossible by keeping a persecuted nation stateless indefinitely and forcibly imposing the burden on their host country.
The international community must realize now that a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis is not the sole responsibility of Bangladesh; it is a litmus test for global humanity and security.
##########
The Writer:
Md. Rezaur Rahim: Senior Journalist and Contributor, Pressenza- Dhaka Bureau.
