{"id":66,"date":"2026-02-10T12:17:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:17:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpen.thebayinsight.com\/?p=66"},"modified":"2026-02-10T12:18:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:18:08","slug":"yunuss-time-runs-out-rohingyas-still-far-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/yunuss-time-runs-out-rohingyas-still-far-from-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Yunus\u2019s time runs out, Rohingyas still far from home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sourav Dev |<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Eid they dreamed of celebrating beyond barbed wire will once again be spent under tin and tarpaulin roofs in refugee camps. Muhammad Yunus\u2019s time is up, but the Rohingyas\u2019 wait is not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After taking charge as chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus struck a hopeful tone on resolving the Rohingya crisis. His international standing, Nobel laureate status and diplomatic reach raised fresh expectations in the camps of Ukhiya and Teknaf. The most visible symbol of that hope was his statement: \u201cThe next Eid will be in Myanmar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But time passed. The national election is scheduled for February 12. Eid is approaching. And the Rohingyas remain exactly where they were\u2014inside the hill-ringed camps of Cox\u2019s Bazar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another year of waiting for the \u2018promised Eid\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abdus Salam, 45, a resident of Kutupalong camp in Ukhiya, said, \u201cWe were truly preparing ourselves. It felt like this time it might really happen. Now we understand it was just words.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eid in the camps is not a celebration but a renewed reminder of another lost year. On Eid morning, limited rations are cooked in bamboo-and-tarpaulin shelters. There is no festivity, no joy of meeting relatives back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Rohingya teenage girl captures the generational crisis: \u201cI grew up in Bangladesh. But Bangladesh is not my country, and Myanmar no longer recognises me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Yunus chapter ends, the issue remains<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the February 12 election, the Yunus chapter is closing. But observers say the Rohingya crisis has once again slipped down the list of priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human rights activist Kalim Ullah said, \u201cThe Rohingyas are now geopolitical orphans. Everyone speaks of sympathy, but no one wants responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly one million Rohingyas who fled Myanmar\u2019s Rakhine State in 2017 have seen no visible progress towards repatriation even after eight years. According to UNHCR, about 1.1 million Rohingyas live in Bangladesh, while unofficial estimates put the figure close to 1.5 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No national policy, no representation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Syed Ullah, president of the United Council for Rohingya, said, \u201cThere is still no national policy for 1.3 million Rohingyas in Bangladesh. Without representative inclusion, this crisis cannot be resolved.\u201d
He said they had pinned hopes on Yunus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWithout political and economic stability, nothing is possible. We pray to Allah that stability returns to Bangladesh,\u201d he added.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2018We want to return with dignity\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mohammad Arafat, operations manager of the Rohingya Art Club and a painter, said, \u201cWe want to return with dignity and security. Any decision taken by the UN and the Bangladesh government must ensure the safety of our community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yunus\u2019s statement: emotion or strategy?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers are divided on whether Muhammad Yunus\u2019s promise on Rohingya repatriation was an emotional remark or a strategic message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Rahman Nasir Uddin of Chittagong University\u2019s anthropology department, who has worked on the Rohingya issue for years, said Yunus\u2019s statement should not be taken lightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He recalled that on March 14, 2025, Yunus had said, \u201cNext year you will celebrate Eid in your own land,\u201d adding that such a statement could not have been made casually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGiven his position as head of an interim government and a Nobel laureate, this was not something he would say out of sheer emotion,\u201d the professor said.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He suggested two possible explanations. \u201cOne is that he genuinely wanted to initiate a solution, at least to kick-start the repatriation process and send a strong message to the international community.\u201dv<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other possibility, he said, was creating media sensation and seeking cheap popularity. \u201cAn image was built that a Nobel laureate would fix everything in a year. But the reality is, this was not realistic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government\u2019s stance: \u2018Expectation, not a promise\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government has described Yunus\u2019s remark not as a promise but as an expression of hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman said the statement reflected the region\u2019s social and religious context around Eid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn this region, Eid means going back to villages, visiting parents and ancestors\u2019 graves. Rohingyas have been stuck here for eight years. From that human emotion came the wish that next Eid they would go home,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a wish, not a commitment.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He stressed that the solution does not lie in Bangladesh\u2019s hands alone. \u201cThis depends primarily on Myanmar and on ensuring Rohingyas\u2019 safety and consent. Bangladesh is only one part of the equation. If it were solely in our hands, the crisis would not have dragged on for eight years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interim government efforts: keeping the issue alive internationally<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mizanur Rahman said the interim government had tried to revive international attention to the crisis within its limited tenure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere was a special conference at the UN. A three-day international conference was held in Bangladesh. The issue was raised with the UN secretary-general. High-level international representatives visited,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to him, the Rohingya issue had lost global focus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We tried to bring it back to the table and maintain international pressure. This is a continuous process. If it continues, a solution may eventually emerge.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Repatriation and funding crisis: \u2018We haven\u2019t lost hope\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commissioner said Bangladesh keeps raising the issue internationally for two reasons: repatriation and the welfare of the huge Rohingya population currently hosted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFunding is now a major challenge. International assistance is needed to ensure food, health and security,\u201d he said, adding that Bangladesh remains hopeful as long as the issue stays alive globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No priority in political agendas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Rahman Nasir Uddin noted that none of the major political parties likely to come to power have outlined a clear roadmap for resolving the Rohingya crisis in their election manifestos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis shows the crisis is not a priority agenda,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is deeply concerning for the state, as this is a long-term challenge for Bangladesh\u2019s security, economy and diplomacy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BNP-nominated candidate for the Ukhiya-Teknaf constituency Shahjahan Chowdhury echoed the political reality. \u201cI can\u2019t say what plan or intention Professor Yunus had. But the reality is that in such a short time, especially with elections ahead, a visible solution was impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t Aladdin\u2019s lamp,\u201d he said. \u201cHis time has ended, but the burden will remain on whoever comes next. If it isn\u2019t handled seriously, it will only grow more complex.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2018No legitimate government in Rakhine\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palongkhali Union Parishad Chairman Gafur Uddin Chowdhury said recent violence, conflict and Myanmar\u2019s military coup have made effective communication extremely difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no legitimate, functional government in Rakhine now. In this situation, safe and dignified repatriation remains highly uncertain,\u201d he said, adding that Yunus\u2019s earlier comment may have been emotional or based on a different context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State agreements outlast governments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Referring to the 2017 repatriation agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar, Professor Rahman Nasir Uddin said, \u201cThis was a deal between two states, not two governments. Governments may change, but the responsibility to pursue the agreement remains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said a new government could still prioritise repatriation using that framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNHCR: conditions not conducive for return<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding by email, UNHCR spokesperson Shari Nijman said conditions in Myanmar are still not conducive to safe, dignified and sustainable return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rohingyas, she said, consistently express willingness to return if conditions improve, but the fundamental requirements have not been met. These include access to original places of residence, freedom of movement, basic services, livelihoods, and a clear path to citizenship and legal identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNHCR noted that these depend on Myanmar\u2019s full political commitment, which is currently absent. Since early 2024, renewed conflict and persecution have forced an estimated 150,000 Rohingyas to seek refuge in Bangladesh, further complicating the situation.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The agency described the situation in Rakhine State as \u201cextremely concerning,\u201d citing widespread violence, intercommunal tensions and structural discrimination. About 536,000 stateless people there remain deprived of basic rights, including healthcare, education, livelihoods, freedom of movement and citizenship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNHCR stressed that a sustainable solution cannot be delivered by humanitarian agencies alone and requires sustained political engagement by the international community. It said it would continue supporting Bangladesh in humanitarian assistance and protection while backing initiatives that promote Rohingya self-reliance and preparedness for eventual return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the next government, the Rohingya crisis remains as daunting as ever. Without a national policy, diplomatic assertiveness and a multi-dimensional approach, analysts say, the crisis will persist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, only one thing is certain: Yunus\u2019s time has run out, but the Rohingyas\u2019 journey home has not begun. Another Eid is coming, but the wait to go home feels endless.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus\u2019s tenure draws to a close, the promised reality has failed to materialise. Rohingyas who clung to the assurance of \u201cthe next Eid in Myanmar\u201d are set to spend yet another Eid in the refugee camps of Cox\u2019s Bazar. Electoral realities, Myanmar\u2019s volatile situation and international silence have once again pushed the humanitarian crisis into uncertainty. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":67,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[11,10],"class_list":["post-66","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-refugee","tag-11","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress-dzfck.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}