Rohingya repatriation: Prof Yunus seeks UNHCR's support

Interim Government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. Photo: Collected

Filippo Grandi requests Chief Adviser to attend meeting on Rohingya crisis during UNGA

Interim Government Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has sought United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi's support for the "dignified and voluntary" return of more than one million Rohingya people, who live in camps in Bangladesh, to their homeland in Myanmar.

High Commissioner Grandi had a conversation with Chief Adviser Prof Yunus over the phone on Monday to congratulate him on his assumption of the leadership of the Interim Government of Bangladesh.

During the call, the UNHCR chief praised the Chief Adviser, saying he has taken up "an incredible task" to rebuild Bangladesh, said the Chief Adviser's press wing.

The UNHCR chief requested the Chief Adviser to attend a meeting on the Rohingya crisis on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

Grandi informed the Chief Adviser that he plans to visit Bangladesh in October this year.

The two leaders discussed the Rohingya issue, including about thousands of people who have been displaced by the ongoing conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Prof Yunus also sought assistance from the UN refugee agency for building a better future for Rohingya children who are growing up inside the Bangladesh camps.

On August 27, UNHCR welcomed the renewed commitment to the refugees, made by Prof Yunus and they call for continued solidarity from the international community through consistent financial support so that Rohingya refugees can eventually be repatriated to Myanmar, with safety, dignity and full rights.

In 2024, humanitarian agencies appealed for $852 million to assist some 1.35 million people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshis in surrounding communities. This appeal remains inadequately funded, according to UNHCR.

Seven years ago, on 25 August 2017, some 700,000 Rohingya men, women and children were forced to flee Myanmar and seek protection in Bangladesh.

The generous support from Bangladesh and the international community has been critical in meeting the refugees' most basic needs and providing protection, UNHCR said.