Civil society leaders and humanitarian experts have stressed the critical need to protect and support the Rohingya community in Bangladesh and beyond until their safe and voluntary repatriation to Myanmar.
They also urged governments and humanitarian actors to strengthen rights for the Rohingya, including access to higher education, income-generating activities, travel passes, bank accounts, and the construction of prefabricated shelters.
The call was made during an international seminar organised by the COAST Foundation and Cox’s Bazar CSO-NGO Forum (CCNF) at the Asia-Pacific Regional Humanitarian Partnership Week (RHPW) 2024 in Bangkok.
The seminar, titled “Rohingya Community Rights and Mobilizing Civil Society in the Asia-Pacific for a Durable Solution,” featured a hybrid format with over 100 participants from across the Asia-Pacific and beyond.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, executive director of COAST Foundation, moderated the event with a keynote presentation by Md Iqbal Uddin, joint director-MEAL and Research of COAST Foundation.
During the event, Keynote Speaker Md Iqbal Uddin emphasised that the root of the Rohingya crisis lies in Myanmar, where their citizenship was revoked in 1982.
“The World Bank’s loan to Bangladesh for Rohingya and host community response sets a negative precedent for humanitarian efforts,” he cautioned.
Other speakers highlighted the urgent need for regional and global action, with Hafsar Tamizuddin from the Asia-Pacific Refugee Rights Network calling for ASEAN countries to accept Rohingya as refugees and provide access to education and basic facilities.
