[🇧🇩] Insurgencies in Myanmar. Implications for Bangladesh

[Saif]

সাড়ে ৫ লাখ রোহিঙ্গার নাম যাচাই-বাছাই শুরু করবে মিয়ানমার: খলিলুর রহমান

মিয়ানমার সরকার শিগগিরই সাড়ে ৫ লাখ রোহিঙ্গার নাম যাচাই-বাছাই শুরু করবে বলে প্রধান উপদেষ্টার হাই রিপ্রেজেন্টেটিভ ড. খলিলুর রহমান। মঙ্গলবার হেয়ার রোডে ফরেন সার্ভিস একাডেমিতে আয়োজিত এক প্রেস ব্রিফিংয়ে তিনি এ তথ্য জানান। তিনি বলেন, ব্যাংককে অনুষ্ঠিত ষষ্ঠ বিমসটেক সম্মেলনের ফাঁকে মিয়ানমারের উপ-প্রধানমন্ত

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

সাড়ে ৫ লাখ রোহিঙ্গার নাম যাচাই-বাছাই শুরু করবে মিয়ানমার: খলিলুর রহমান
বাসস
Published :
Apr 08, 2025 21:31
Updated :
Apr 08, 2025 21:31

মিয়ানমার সরকার শিগগিরই সাড়ে ৫ লাখ রোহিঙ্গার নাম যাচাই-বাছাই শুরু করবে বলে প্রধান উপদেষ্টার হাই রিপ্রেজেন্টেটিভ ড. খলিলুর রহমান। মঙ্গলবার হেয়ার রোডে ফরেন সার্ভিস একাডেমিতে আয়োজিত এক প্রেস ব্রিফিংয়ে তিনি এ তথ্য জানান।

তিনি বলেন, ব্যাংককে অনুষ্ঠিত ষষ্ঠ বিমসটেক সম্মেলনের ফাঁকে মিয়ানমারের উপ-প্রধানমন্ত্রী ও পররাষ্ট্রমন্ত্রী উ থান শিউ-এর সঙ্গে তার বৈঠক হয়েছে।

রোহিঙ্গা প্রত্যাবাসন বিষয়ে অগ্রগতির কথা জানিয়ে তিনি বলেন, "মিয়ানমার কর্তৃপক্ষ প্রত্যর্পণ উপযুক্ত আড়াই লাখ রোহিঙ্গার মধ্যে এক লাখ ৮০ হাজার জনকে চিহ্নিত করেছে।"

এছাড়া বাকি ৭০ হাজার রোহিঙ্গার নাম ও ছবি নিয়ে কিছু বিভ্রান্তি রয়েছে বলে জানান তিনি, এবং এ বিষয়ে বাংলাদেশ ও মিয়ানমার যৌথভাবে আলোচনা চালিয়ে যাবে।

তিনি বলেন, "২০১৮ থেকে ২০২০ সালের মধ্যে বাংলাদেশ ছয়টি ব্যাচে মোট ৮ লাখ রোহিঙ্গার একটি তালিকা মিয়ানমারকে পাঠিয়েছে।"

মিয়ানমার সরকার বাকি সাড়ে ৫ লাখ রোহিঙ্গার নাম দ্রুত যাচাই-বাছাইয়ের কাজ সম্পন্ন করবে বলে বাংলাদেশকে জানিয়েছে বলে জানান খলিলুর রহমান।​

 

[Saif]

Myanmar to start reviewing names of 5,50,000 Rohingyas soon: Khalilur

Chief Adviser’s High Representative Dr. Khalilur Rahman on Tuesday said the Myanmar authorities will soon start the process of reviewing the names of 5,50,000 Rohingyas. He disclosed this information at a press briefing at Foreign Service Academy in the capital.

en.prothomalo.com

Myanmar to start reviewing names of 5,50,000 Rohingyas soon: Khalilur
BSSDhaka
Published: 08 Apr 2025, 19: 14

Chief Adviser’s High Representative, Dr. Khalilur Rahman, spoke at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon. Photo: BSS

Chief Adviser’s High Representative Dr. Khalilur Rahman on Tuesday said the Myanmar authorities will soon start the process of reviewing the names of 5,50,000 Rohingyas.

He disclosed this information at a press briefing at Foreign Service Academy in the capital.

Dr Khalilur said he held a meeting with U Than Shew, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Myanmar, on the sidelines of the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok.

Claiming that there was a progress on Rohingya issue, he said the Myanmar authorities identified 180,000 Rohingyas out of 2,50,000 eligible for return to Myanmar.

There were some confusions over the names and photos of 70,000 Rohingyas, and Bangladesh and Myanmar will continue talks to resolve the confusions, he said.

The high representative said Bangladesh sent a list of 800,000 Rohingyas to Myanmar in six batches during 2018-20.

He said the Myanmar authorities told him that they would conclude the review of the remaining 5,50,000 as soon as possible.

About the outcomes of the BIMSTEC Summit, Dr Khalilur said Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has been elected the chairman of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) for the next two years and he vowed to advance the BIMSTEC as a dynamic organisation.

Mentioning that the BIMSTEC secretariat is now located in Dhaka, he said: “We hope that we would be able to work together”.

He said there was no progress in much-talked about Free Trade Agreement (FTA) among the BIMSTEC member states but Dhaka will commence efforts to accelerate the process.

During the BIMSTEC summit, an agreement on maritime transport cooperation was signed among the member states, the high representative said.

“We hope that maritime transportation, port management and regional cooperation will be strengthened. Connectivity will be improved (among the member states),” he added.​

The sixth BIMSTEC Summit was recently held in Bangkok, Thailand.

 

[Saif]

Why Myanmar’s Rohingya repatriation plan rings hollow

Myanmar’s recent announcement to repatriate 180,000 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh has drawn international attention.

www.thedailystar.net

Why Myanmar’s Rohingya repatriation plan rings hollow

Rohingya refugees walk after crossing the Naf river from Myanmar into Bangladesh in Whaikhyang. File Photo: AFP

Myanmar's recent announcement to repatriate 180,000 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh has drawn international attention. But beneath this statement lies a familiar and troubling pattern. The declaration comes at a time when Myanmar is in deep political crisis, with widespread conflict, a collapsed administration, and worsening humanitarian conditions. Large parts of Rakhine State—home to the Rohingya—are now controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), while the military junta that issued the repatriation promise is steadily losing power and territory. Given these circumstances, it is hard to take this pledge seriously. It seems more like a political gesture to ease international pressure than a sincere effort to correct past wrongdoings.

This is not Myanmar's first repatriation attempt. Two major efforts in 1978 and 1992 followed large-scale violence that pushed hundreds of thousands of refugees into Bangladesh. In both cases, Myanmar agreed to take them back after strong international pressure. However, those returns were rushed, lacked oversight, and failed to address the core reasons why people fled. Returnees were denied citizenship, placed under strict restrictions, and treated with suspicion. These efforts did not lead to lasting peace but instead laid the foundation for further waves of violence and displacement.

The current situation is worse than in previous decades. Since the military coup in February 2021, Myanmar has been spiralling into chaos. The junta faces resistance from armed ethnic groups and civil movements across the country. The AA now controls key areas of Rakhine State. In many places, the military government no longer has the power to provide services, security, or even access. Under such conditions, how can they claim to guarantee a safe and voluntary return for the Rohingya refugees?

What makes matters worse is the lack of real policy change. The 1982 Citizenship Law—which stripped the Rohingya of citizenship—remains in place. There has been no formal apology, no legal reform, and no move to recognise them as an ethnic group in Myanmar. The same systems of exclusion and discrimination that forced them to flee still exist. Inside Myanmar, more than 100,000 Rohingya remain in internal displacement camps. Many have lived in these camps for over a decade with limited access to healthcare, education, and freedom of movement. Since the coup, access for aid groups has become even more restricted. Under such harsh and unsafe conditions, calling any repatriation "voluntary" or "dignified" is unrealistic.

The design of the current repatriation plan is also flawed. Myanmar has agreed to take back individuals listed between 2018 and 2020. However, many children have been born in the camps since then and are not included in these lists. This raises the serious risk of splitting families—where parents are allowed to return, but their children are not. Such situations violate basic humanitarian principles and the right to family unity. Understandably, many families would refuse to return under such conditions.

Another major issue is that the voices of the Rohingya themselves are not well-reflected in this process. Studies and interviews from the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar consistently show that most Rohingya do not want to return unless their demands are met. These include full citizenship, safety guarantees, the freedom to move and work, and access to education and healthcare. Many refugees say they would rather stay in Bangladesh than return to a country that still refuses to recognise them.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, has carried a massive humanitarian burden since 2017. Nearly one million Rohingya live in camps along its border. International funding has declined, and frustration is growing among local communities and officials. It is understandable that Bangladesh seeks a solution. However, agreeing to a flawed repatriation plan that lacks guarantees of safety and rights could put vulnerable people at risk, retraumatise survivors, and increase instability in both Rakhine and the camps in Bangladesh. For any future repatriation to work, several key steps must be taken.

First, Myanmar must change its laws to grant the Rohingya full citizenship. This means repealing or amending the 1982 Citizenship Law and recognising the Rohingya as an official ethnic group. Without this, any return will simply recreate the same injustices. Second, international organisations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) must be involved at every stage—from verifying returnees and ensuring safe transport to monitoring their reintegration. Independent oversight will help build trust and protect the rights of returnees.

Third, repatriation must include full families. It is unacceptable to separate children from their parents or leave out newly born members of a household. Repatriation should be a family-centred process based on dignity and choice. Fourth, the return process must be part of a broader justice effort. Myanmar must acknowledge the crimes committed against the Rohingya, hold perpetrators accountable, and offer reparations to victims. Justice is not just about punishment—it is about creating conditions where trust can be rebuilt and people feel safe in their own country. Finally, returnees must be supported with long-term reintegration plans. They need access to education, healthcare, housing, jobs, and land. They should not be sent back to camps or temporary shelters. They must be treated as full and equal citizens with rights and opportunities.

Myanmar's latest repatriation promise may sound hopeful on the surface, but it fails to address the real causes of displacement. The country's worsening political crisis, unchanged discriminatory laws, and lack of accountability all suggest that this initiative is not about helping the Rohingya—it is about managing Myanmar's international image. Unless deep structural changes are made and the rights of the Rohingya are restored, repatriation will remain a false promise. The international community must not accept empty gestures. It must demand real reform, legal guarantees, and a rights-based approach to any return plan. Anything less than that is not repatriation—it is re-victimisation. For the Rohingya, who have suffered for generations, only a just and safe return can bring an end to their long journey of displacement.

Dr Md Nuruzzaman Khan is research fellow at the University of Melbourne, Australia.​

 

[Saif]

Meeting with UNHCR: Foreign Secy highlights negative impacts, reiterates Rohingya repatriation only solution

Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin on Thursday highlighted the negative impacts on the host community caused by the prolonged stay of the displaced Rohingya community in Cox's Bazar, including the rise of crimes like drug smuggling and human trafficking. During his meeting with the outgoing Represe

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Meeting with UNHCR: Foreign Secy highlights negative impacts, reiterates Rohingya repatriation only solution
UNB
Published :
Apr 10, 2025 23:43
Updated :
Apr 10, 2025 23:43

Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin on Thursday highlighted the negative impacts on the host community caused by the prolonged stay of the displaced Rohingya community in Cox's Bazar, including the rise of crimes like drug smuggling and human trafficking.

During his meeting with the outgoing Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bangladesh, Sumbul Rizvi, the Foreign Secretary reiterated that repatriation of the Rohingyas is the only viable solution to the crisis.

He recalled the recent visits of the UN Secretary General and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to the Rohingya Camps in Cox's Bazar.

Sumbul Rizvi had the farewell meeting with the Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The foreign secretary congratulated the UNHCR Representative on her successful tenure in Bangladesh and appreciated her efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya population sheltered in Bangladesh.

Citing their longstanding partnership with Bangladesh, the Country Representative assured the foreign secretary of continued support from UNHCR.

Both sides also exchanged their views on the current situation in the Rakhine State, and the upcoming High-level Conference on the Rohingya Crisis.

The UNHCR Representative expressed her gratitude to the Foreign Secretary for the cordial cooperation throughout her tenure.

The Foreign Secretary wished her good health and continued success in the next phase of her life.​

 

[Saif]

Accountability key to resolving Rohingya crisis: Dhaka

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, now visiting Turkey, on Friday emphasised that accountability for the crimes against humanity perpetrated against the Rohingya community is a crucial factor in ensuring justice and the ultimate resolution of the crisis. He reassured that Bangladesh would

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Accountability key to resolving Rohingya crisis: Dhaka
UNB
Published :
Apr 11, 2025 18:27
Updated :
Apr 11, 2025 18:27

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, now visiting Turkey, on Friday emphasised that accountability for the crimes against humanity perpetrated against the Rohingya community is a crucial factor in ensuring justice and the ultimate resolution of the crisis.

He reassured that Bangladesh would continue to lend its unwavering support for the just cause of establishing an independent Palestinian state following multiple UN resolutions.

On the sidelines of the 'Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025', Hossain had a meeting with Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim A.A. Khan KC and discussed the issue.

Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md Mahfuj Alam, Bangladesh Ambassador to Turkiye and other senior officials from both sides attended the meeting.

Hossain expressed the deepest sympathy over the suffering of the people of Palestine in the recent aggression.

The meeting discussed all aspects of engagements between Bangladesh and ICC. The prosecutor of ICC lauded Bangladesh's unwavering stance for the cause of the international justice system, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The foreign adviser expressed Bangladesh's continued support to the Rome Statute and to the ICC.

He said Bangladesh's interest in exploring tangible cooperation with ICC in training and skilling experts, academics, jurists. He appreciated ICC for its stance vis-a-vis on the situation in the Rohingya crisis and Gaza.

Both sides agreed to further enhance the level of existing engagements in the coming days.​

 

[Saif]

Peace won't return to Myanmar keeping Rohingya issue unresolved: Dhaka tells Washington

Acknowledging the difficult situation, Bangladesh has strongly conveyed to the United States that peace will not return to Myanmar even if the war ends there unless the Rohingya problem is resolved. "If the Rohingya problem is not resolved, peace will not come to Myanmar even after the war ends. I

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Peace won't return to Myanmar keeping Rohingya issue unresolved: Dhaka tells Washington
UNB
Published :
Apr 18, 2025 22:54
Updated :
Apr 18, 2025 22:54

Acknowledging the difficult situation, Bangladesh has strongly conveyed to the United States that peace will not return to Myanmar even if the war ends there unless the Rohingya problem is resolved.

"If the Rohingya problem is not resolved, peace will not come to Myanmar even after the war ends. I strongly said this," Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told reporters on Friday, referring to his discussion with the US delegation held on Thursday.

Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.2 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char Island.

Talking to reporters at the Foreign Service Academy, Adviser Hossain said they also conveyed to the US side that they are now in a new reality, and in fact in new reality, they are now facing new neighbours who are non-state actors.

"So we cannot deal with them directly, nor we can ignore them. This is a difficult situation," he said.

The adviser said maybe at some point the problem will settle down and move towards a solution.

"Then those who are our friends and powerful states will have to create pressure there," he said, adding that the Rohingys need to be seen humanely and their rights need to restored in Myanmar.

The US delegation comprising of US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) Nicole Ann Chulick and Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Andrew R Herrup met Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain, National Security Adviser and High Representative to Chief Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman and Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin separately and discussed the issues of mutual interest.

Adviser Hossain said Nicole Chulick highlighted bilateral issues while Andrew Herrup's focus was on Myanmar issues.

Bangladesh sought greater political and humanitarian support from the United States to help address the Rohingya crisis.

"We broadly discussed the Rohingya issue," Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin said on Thursday.

Both sides expressed a "strong commitment" to further advancing the Bangladesh-US partnership to a "newer height" in the days to come.​

 

[Saif]

Myanmar rebels prepare to hand key city back to junta: China

A Myanmar ethnic minority armed group is preparing to hand a captured city back to the military in a Beijing-brokered deal, China’s foreign ministry said Tuesday, as residents reported junta troops already returning.

www.newagebd.net

Myanmar rebels prepare to hand key city back to junta: China
Agence France-Presse . Yangon 23 April, 2025, 03:20

A Myanmar ethnic minority armed group is preparing to hand a captured city back to the military in a Beijing-brokered deal, China’s foreign ministry said Tuesday, as residents reported junta troops already returning.

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army ousted Myanmar’s military from the city of Lashio in August 2024, capturing their northeastern command and a key trade route to China.

Analysts say it was the worst strategic loss the military suffered since seizing power in a 2021 coup that sparked a civil war pitting the generals against anti-coup fighters and long-active ethnic armed groups.

But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters the MNDAA is set to relinquish the city to the military without firing a shot.

‘At the joint invitation of both sides, China recently dispatched a ceasefire monitoring team to Lashio, Myanmar, to oversee the ceasefire between the Myanmar military and the MNDAA and to witness the smooth and orderly handover of Lashio’s urban area,’ he said.

China is a major ally and arms supplier of the junta but also maintains ties with ethnic rebel groups that hold territory near its border like the MNDAA, which can muster around 8,000 fighters.

Monitors have said the fall of Lashio — around 100 kilometres from Chinese territory — was a step too far for Beijing, which balked at the prospect of instability on its borders.

The MNDAA has not commented on the handover and a spokesman for Myanmar’s military could not be reached by AFP for comment.

But a military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: ‘Some military officers have been transferred to Lashio in recent days. Some are on their way to Lashio already.’

One Lashio resident this week said they had been turned away by an MNDAA checkpoint outside a hotel, after being told members of the group were meeting Myanmar military officials inside.

And a spokesman for the Lashio office of another ethnic armed organisation, allied with the MNDAA, said they were ‘seeing military vehicles in town’.

In late 2023, the MNDAA and two other ethnic rebel groups began a combined offensive which seized swathes of Myanmar’s northern Shan state, including lucrative ruby mines and trade links.

Beijing has long been eyeing the territory for infrastructure investment under its trillion-dollar Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

After Lashio’s fall China cut power, water and internet to the MNDAA’s homeland region of Kokang, a source close to the group said.

In December it said it would cease fire and was ready for China-mediated ‘peace talks with the Myanmar army on issues such as Lashio’.​

 

[Saif]

Interim govt’s efforts bringing Rohingya issue back in global negotiations: Alam

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Wednesday said the Rohingya crisis has returned to global discussions due to various efforts taken by the Bangladesh interim government. “The Rohingya crisis, especially the 1.3 million Rohingyas who took shelter in Bangladesh, is a huma

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Interim govt’s efforts bringing Rohingya issue back in global negotiations: Alam
FE Online Desk
Published :
Apr 23, 2025 21:17
Updated :
Apr 23, 2025 21:17

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Wednesday said the Rohingya crisis has returned to global discussions due to various efforts taken by the Bangladesh interim government.

“The Rohingya crisis, especially the 1.3 million Rohingyas who took shelter in Bangladesh, is a humanitarian crisis. This crisis could create a major regional crisis and could have become a security threat,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Earthna Summit in Doha, Qatar.

The press secretary said the issue was about to be lost from global discussions, but the interim government, led by Prof Yunus, has brought the Rohingya issue back into global negotiations.

After assuming office, he said, the Bangladesh chief adviser placed the Rohingya issue at the United Nations General Assembly last year, reports BSS.

Responding to the request of Prof Yunus, the UN adopted a resolution, he said, adding that a separate conference on the Rohingya issue would be held at the UN headquarters in New York next September.

Representatives of about 170 countries are expected to participate in the meeting, Alam said.

He said in continuation of this, the Chief Adviser raised the Rohingya issue at the Earthna Summit in Doha on Wednesday.

The press secretary said during the recent BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok, Thailand, the High Representative on Rohingya Affairs, Dr Khalilur Rahman, held a fruitful meeting with the Myanmar authorities, where Myanmar agreed to repatriate 180,000 Rohingya refugees.

In the global context, Alam said, constant talks on the Rohingya crisis, initiated by the chief adviser, will help repatriate Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar.​