Bangladesh eyes Rohingya return, but hurdles remain

The head of Bangladesh's interim government, Muhammad Yunus, has told Rohingya Muslims who fled from neighboring Myanmar that, "may we pray to Allah, that next Eid, you can celebrate in your own homes in Myanmar."

Bangladesh has been taking in fellow Muslims from Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state largely since a bloody 2017 army crackdown forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee their homeland.

Myanmar's military junta has ruled since a February 2021 coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government. Since then, fighting between ethnic rebel groups and the military has pushed more Rohingya to seek refuge in Bangladesh.

The head of Bangladesh's interim government, Muhammad Yunus, has told Rohingya Muslims who fled from neighboring Myanmar that, "may we pray to Allah, that next Eid, you can celebrate in your own homes in Myanmar."

Bangladesh has been taking in fellow Muslims from Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state largely since a bloody 2017 army crackdown forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee their homeland.

Myanmar's military junta has ruled since a February 2021 coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government. Since then, fighting between ethnic rebel groups and the military has pushed more Rohingya to seek refuge in Bangladesh.

Guterres said the UN is exploring the possibility of a humanitarian aid channel from Bangladesh to Myanmar.

"We need to intensify humanitarian aid inside Myanmar to create a condition for that return [of the Rohingya] to be successful," Guterres said during a press briefing in Dhaka during his visit. He suggested that under the right circumstances, having a "humanitarian channel" from Bangladesh would facilitate the return of the Rohingya community, but said it would require "authorization and cooperation."

Asked if dialogue with the AA was essential for the repatriation of Rohingyas, Guterres said: "The Arakan Army is a reality in which we live." He acknowledged that in the past relations with the AA have been difficult but said, "necessary dialogue must take place," noting that sanctions against the group would require UN Security Council approval, which could prove difficult to obtain.

"It's essential to increase pressure from all the neighbors in order to guarantee that fighting ends and the way towards democracy finally established," Guterres said.

Khalilur Rahman, high representative on Rohingya issues for Bangladesh's interim leader, confirmed that his government is engaged in dialogues with the AA.

"Under the 2018 bilateral agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar, verification has been ongoing," Khalilur Rahman told reporters in Dhaka earlier this month.

"While Rakhine is a sovereign region of Myanmar, we have also engaged in dialogue with the Arakan Army, which publicly affirmed in September that repatriating the Rohingya is a key position for them. They reiterated this stance unequivocally during our discussions."

"We believe arrangements can be made to return these 180,000 individuals," Rahman added. "While this won't happen overnight, we are striving to expedite the process with all stakeholders involved."

Will refugees return to Rakhine under AA?

The Rohingya ethnic group faces discrimination and statelessness as they are denied citizenship and other rights in Myanmar.

John Quinley, director of Fortify Rights, an organization that investigates human rights violations, says that the Rohingya are unlikely to return without citizenship and equal rights - their core demands.

"Many Rohingya refugees don't trust the Arakan Army who now controls the vast majority of Rakhine State," Quinley told DW.

"Rohingya are indigenous to Arakan known as Rakhine and should be able to return home," he added.

"That being said, there must be safety, restored citizenship rights, and accountability for ongoing crimes by the junta and Arakan Army," Quinley said.

"I worry that repatriating Rohingya now would be akin to refoulement. They are at real risk from both Arakan Army and Myanmar junta."

Nay San Lwin, co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, suggested that if the Myanmar junta truly wants the refugees to return, it must make stronger commitments, including public assurances that it will not conduct airstrikes or use artillery on the Rohingya community.

"For the Rohingya or others to rebuild their lives in Arakan, they may need some form of permission or documentation from the Arakan Army while also requiring official citizenship from Myanmar," he told DW.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh continues to build global consciousness on Rohingya repatriation, with the UN General Assembly backing a high-level conference on the plight of the community later this year.

>>DW