Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has remarked that the longer the Rohingya crisis is prolonged, the more its humanitarian and security risks will increase for Bangladesh. He emphasized creating a rapid path for repatriation instead of relying solely on humanitarian aid, and stressed the importance of regional and international parties taking responsibility in this regard.
These remarks came on Sunday during a roundtable discussion titled 'The Rohingya Crisis: New Challenges and Sustainable Strategies' held at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in Ramna, Dhaka. The research institution Institute for Global Cooperation Foundation (IGCF) organized the discussion.
Speaking as the chief guest, Salahuddin Ahmed said that the longer the delay in resolving the crisis, the greater the impact will be on both the local population and the Rohingya. Incidents such as violence against women and drug smuggling within the Rohingya camps are escalating security risks. Therefore, the issue must be given the utmost importance from a national security perspective.
He stated that coordination solely among civilian institutions is not enough; an integrated national strategy involving security and defense agencies is also required. The long-term model of emergency aid must be moved away from, shifting toward a repatriation-centric strategy. However, humanitarian assistance should not be an alternative to a solution, but rather serve as a bridge toward a solution.
Special Guest State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam said that priority has been given to expediting the verification process for repatriation. At the same time, she mentioned taking into account the practical situation of the Rohingya born in the camps and those who arrived from Rakhine after 2017.
Prime Minister's Adviser on Public Administration Md. Ismail Zabiullah blamed the diplomatic failure of the previous government for the lack of progress in Rohingya repatriation. Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman stated that in the absence of clear directives from the government, it is becoming difficult to handle the situation effectively at the field level.
Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Mahfuzur Rahman, former Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division, said that a clear message must be given to Myanmar that Bangladesh's strategic patience also has limits.
Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid, said that the Rohingya crisis should be viewed not only as a humanitarian crisis, but also as a geopolitical, security, and disaster risk crisis.
