Eight years after Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar for Bangladesh to escape brutal persecution by the military junta in Rakhine State, refugees in Cox’s Bazar are demanding safe return to their home country as Dhaka hosts a three-day international conference in a bid to resolve the crisis and speed up the repatriation process.
The conference, held at an open field in Kutupalong in Cox’s Bazar, gathers international dignitaries, United Nations representatives, diplomats, and Bangladeshi officials and is organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the High Representative on Rohingya Affairs.
Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights President Muhammad Zubair hailed the conference, saying: “If representatives from different countries visit the Rohingya camps, they will witness the reality firsthand.
“We view this conference positively. If such conferences continue, Rohingyas may be able to return to Myanmar.”
Rohingya leader Mohammed Tayub, meanwhile, has high hopes for the conference and revealed that Rohingya refugees want the international community to help them be repatriated to Myanmar as soon as possible.
Safe return to Myanmar
On Monday, refugees gathered at the camp for the second day of the conference, where they asked for their safe return to Myanmar.
A 19-year-old refugee said they want to go back to their home country and enjoy the rights that other ethnic groups are experiencing.
Since the mass exodus of Rohingyas from Myanmar in August 2017, the humanitarian crisis at the camps has worsened, with no solution in sight despite efforts to resolve the crisis.
What makes matters worse are the recent US aid cuts, which affect millions of Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar.
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Current situation for Rohingyas
Refugees face immense challenges, including severe overcrowding in camps, limited access to clean water, healthcare and sanitation, high rates of malnutrition, and constant risk of exploitation and insecurity.
With no progress being made over the years, more and more Rohingyas are entering Bangladesh, which has caused the camps to be overcrowded.
Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Abu Saleh Mohammad Obaidullah has claimed that, so long as the conflict in Rakhine State persists, this trend will continue.
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Yunus’ call for roadmap
During Monday’s meeting, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus called on the international community to facilitate a process ensuring the safe return of all Rohingyas to Myanmar.
“Their right to return to their homeland has to be secured,” he urged.
“Therefore, we urge all parties and partners to work hard for charting a practical roadmap for their speedy, safe, dignified, voluntary, and sustainable return to their homes in Rakhine as soon as possible.”
In order to solve the crisis, former ambassador and Bangladesh Enterprise Institute President M. Humayun Kabir said Bangladesh must look for other solutions and try diplomatically to bring up the issue in regional and global fora.
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More talks to follow
The conference is just a preparatory event for the UN High-Level Conference on the Rohingya, which is set to take place on September 30 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
A third conference is then expected to occur in December in Qatar.
According to the commissioner of the Cox’s Bazar Relief and Rohingya Refugee Office Md Mizanur Rahman, the event aims to strengthen the morale of the Rohingyas and explore ways to support them.
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Hazel Camba 
Shameeka Voyiya 
Newsjustnews writers