Rohingya crisis may affect stability in entire region: Chief Adviser

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has said the prolonged Rohingya crisis may affect the security and stability in the entire Asia region, calling for working collectively towards lasting solutions to the crisis.

The chief adviser said this while addressing a high-level roundtable titled ‘Social and Environment Challenges Around Forcibly Displaced Populations-The Case of the Rohingya’ at Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Doha on Wednesday.

In his speech, Prof Yunus said prolonged stay of the Rohingyas poses enormous challenges to Bangladesh and making these Rohingyas frustrated.

He observed that rise in criminal activities in the refugee camps in Bangladesh and attempts of illegal migration are clear signs of desperation among them.

“If the problem persists further, it may affect the security and stability of the entire region and jeopardise development initiatives,” he added.

Unfortunately, the chief adviser said international attention is gradually shifting from the Rohingya crisis due to various conflicts arising at different corners of the globe.
 
He said Qatar can use its good offices to put pressure on Myanmar for starting repatriation of Rohingya people without any further delay.

Given the renewed international geopolitical and geostrategic scenario, Qatar can strongly express their solidarity to resolve the issue and be proactive to engage the OIC countries to raise more funds and impose pressure on the international community to advocate for the repatriation of the Rohingyas, he said.

The chief adviser said Bangladesh is currently hosting about 1.3 million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (Rohingyas), while 32,000 newborns are being added yearly.

Despite numerous challenges and constraints, he said Bangladesh is giving shelter to such a huge number of Rohingyas only on humanitarian considerations.

About the chaotic situation in Myanmar, Prof Yunus said recently, the situation in Rakhine has undergone dramatic changes.

The Arakan Army now controls the 271-km Bangladesh-Myanmar Border and 14 of Rakhine's 17 townships, he said, adding that as of February 2025, Rakhine's total internally displaced population stands at 538,876 individuals.

“Among them, 152,071 stateless Rohingya remain in 21 protracted camps and three villages. Additionally, 386,805 (mostly Rakhine) people are newly displaced across 1,219 different sites, reflecting the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region,” he said.

Due to Myanmar's ongoing armed conflict, fresh arrivals of Rohingyas in Bangladesh since November 2023 crossed 100,000, the chief adviser mentioned.