As the Rohingya crisis worsens, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is set to visit Bangladesh in an effort to push for a sustainable resolution. His visit comes at a crucial moment—not just for the Rohingyas but also for Bangladesh, which is undergoing significant political change following the July uprising that led to the ousting of the Awami League regime in August last year. For the new administration, addressing the Rohingya issue is both a humanitarian and a diplomatic challenge, requiring immediate international engagement.
The timing of Guterres’ visit is also significant due to the deteriorating conditions in Myanmar. Renewed violence in Rakhine State has forced another 80,000 Rohingyas to flee to Bangladesh since August last year, further straining the country’s already overcrowded refugee camps. While Dhaka has consistently called for the repatriation of Rohingyas, Myanmar’s instability and lack of commitment have rendered previous attempts unsuccessful. The UN chief’s visit is expected to focus on breaking this deadlock, securing increased international funding, and ensuring that Rohingya refugees are not abandoned to their fate.
However, the situation has been made even more precarious by the recent funding cuts from the United States. Washington, once a major donor to Rohingya refugee programs, has reduced financial assistance, leading to severe food shortages in camps. The World Food Programme (WFP) has already been forced to reduce rations multiple times, leaving thousands on the brink of starvation. As Guterres engages in diplomatic negotiations, his biggest challenge will be to rally the global community and reverse the growing donor fatigue that threatens to push the crisis into an even darker chapter.
The suffering of the Rohingya people is not a recent tragedy; it is the result of decades of systematic persecution in Myanmar. Despite their deep historical roots in the country’s Rakhine State, Myanmar’s government has long denied them citizenship. The 1982 Citizenship Law officially excluded them, rendering them stateless and depriving them of fundamental rights such as access to education, healthcare, and employment. Over the years, successive governments in Myanmar have reinforced this marginalization, branding the Rohingyas as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and fueling widespread discrimination.
The situation took a devastating turn in 2017, when the Myanmar military launched a brutal crackdown against the Rohingya community in response to attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group. The military’s response, described by the United Nations as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” led to the mass displacement of over 700,000 people, the majority of whom fled to Bangladesh. Reports of mass killings, sexual violence, and the burning of entire villages shocked the world, but little was done to hold Myanmar accountable. Despite global condemnation, Myanmar’s stance remained unchanged, with authorities continuing to insist that the Rohingyas were not legitimate citizens.
For Bangladesh, the Rohingya crisis has become an overwhelming burden. The country initially opened its borders to fleeing Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds, but as the refugee population swelled to over 1.2 million, the strain on resources became unmanageable. The majority of Rohingya refugees live in densely populated camps in Cox’s Bazar, where access to basic necessities such as food, clean water, and medical care remains a daily struggle.
Bangladesh has repeatedly urged the international community to share responsibility for the crisis, emphasizing that it cannot host such a large refugee population indefinitely. Over the years, Dhaka has attempted multiple repatriation agreements with Myanmar, but each attempt has failed due to ongoing violence and the Rohingyas’ fear of persecution upon return. While Bangladesh remains committed to humanitarian assistance, there is growing frustration that the global community has not done enough to pressure Myanmar into ensuring a safe and dignified repatriation process.
Myanmar’s refusal to acknowledge the Rohingya as legitimate citizens remains at the heart of the crisis. Successive governments—both military and civilian—have maintained that the Rohingyas are not a recognized ethnic group and have no historical claim to Myanmar. Even during the tenure of Aung San Suu Kyi, once celebrated as a champion of democracy, the government defended the military’s actions, dismissing allegations of genocide. Since the 2021 military coup, Myanmar has plunged into further chaos, making any meaningful dialogue on repatriation nearly impossible.
Adding to the crisis is the lack of sustained international pressure. While the United Nations and human rights organizations have condemned Myanmar’s actions, global responses have largely been limited to diplomatic statements rather than concrete actions. Economic sanctions imposed on Myanmar have failed to bring about policy changes, and international courts, despite issuing rulings against the Myanmar military, have struggled to enforce accountability. Meanwhile, the world’s attention has shifted to other geopolitical crises, pushing the plight of the Rohingyas further into the background.
Bangladesh’s patience is wearing thin. With the new administration in Dhaka navigating a post-Awami League transition, the Rohingya crisis remains one of its most pressing diplomatic concerns. The government is increasingly pushing for third-country resettlements, urging Western nations to take in more refugees, but the response has been lukewarm.
Meanwhile, life in the refugee camps continues to deteriorate. With shrinking aid, rising malnutrition, and worsening living conditions, frustration is growing among the displaced Rohingya community. Many fear that they are being forgotten, left in a perpetual limbo without a future.
As António Guterres arrives in Bangladesh, he carries with him the weight of global expectations. His visit may not bring an immediate solution, but it will serve as a crucial reminder that the Rohingyas cannot be ignored. For Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the world, time is running out to find a resolution before the crisis spirals further into tragedy.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Coverpage’s editorial stance.
