Rohingya Repatriation- Will the UN play stronger role?

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina once again called on international groups and the United Nations to play a strong role in the repatriation of Rohingya. The Prime Minister said that this crisis can only be solved by repatriating the forcibly displaced Rohingyas to their homeland Myanmar. The UNHCR High Commissioner also agreed with her on this issue.

The saddest thing is, five years have passed since Bangladesh signed the repatriation agreement with Myanmar in November 2017. But the Myanmar govt. has not done anything for the safe return of the Rohingyas and the international community has not taken any strong action in this regard. The silence of the international community, including the UN, for the repatriation of Rohingya is very sad.

Bangladesh has helped avert a major regional crisis by sheltering more than 1 million Rohingya fleeing a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar. It was not an easy task for the govt to provide food and shelter to this large number of refugees. yet the borders were liberally opened. Bangladesh is facing financial, environmental and security challenges, but the government is working hard to ensure that these displaced people can find a safe life in the refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar.

Meanwhile, the risk of landslides in the hilly areas of the Rohingya camp area of Cox’s Bazar, drug smuggling, human trafficking, violence and clashes between refugee community groups in Cox’s Bazar; also the government has created housing and other facilities for the relocation of Rohingyas to Bhasanchar in Noakhali to combat environmental degradation in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp area.

But the silence of Myanmar and the international community regarding their repatriation is very disappointing. Now the question is, how long will Bangladesh bear the burden of the Rohingya population?

According to various sources, there was a glimmer of hope in the process of repatriating the Rohingyas in the tripartite talks between Bangladesh and Myanmar led by China at the beginning of last year.
But last February, the change of power in the country stopped it. Due to the tumultuous domestic political situation of the country as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, that discussion did not come forward.

Meanwhile, neighboring Myanmar has always said it will take the Rohingyas back to their homeland. But in reality no sample of it has been seen for the last five years. The Bangladesh government has sought an active role from the international community for the repatriation of the Rohingya.

However, the results of the initiatives of the United Nations and other organizations and countries have not yet been seen. Although the international community has strongly praised Bangladesh, it has kept Bangladesh under pressure on this issue. For the sheltered Rohingya, friendly countries including Western countries have sent humanitarian aid but have not come forward to solve the crisis in the last five years.

Currently, criminal activities such as drug trade, arms and human trafficking and killings of the Rohingya have spread in and around the camps, posing a major challenge to the law enforcement agencies. According to Cox’s Bazar police data, 99 murders occurred from 2017 to July 2022. Rohingyas are involved in 14 types of crimes including murder, kidnapping, rape, drug trade, extortion, human trafficking and arson.
After these five years, the people of the Rohingya community have become terrible. Due to which the locals are under threat.

In the meantime, Myanmar forces are again shelling the border area of Bangladesh. One person died in their shooting. Yet the world is largely a silent spectator. In this situation, world leaders have gathered on the occasion of the United Nations General Session. At this time, the countrymen think that Bangladesh will get a positive response to the Rohingya issue.