Rohingya in Bangladesh demand justice and safe return on 8th year of exodus

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh gathered at the Kutupalong camp in Cox’s Bazar on August 25 to mark eight years since their mass displacement from Myanmar. They called for a safe, dignified and voluntary return while human rights groups urged accountability for crimes committed against the community. Their exodus began in 2017 when a military crackdown in Rakhine State forced more than 740,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, an operation the United Nations later described as having “genocidal intent.”

Refugees carried placards reading “No more refugee life” and “Repatriation the ultimate solution,” underscoring frustration with years of uncertainty in Bangladesh’s overcrowded camps. Nineteen-year-old protester Nur Aziz said, “We want to go back to our country with equal rights like other ethnic groups in Myanmar. The rights they are enjoying in Myanmar as citizens of the country, we too want to enjoy the same rights.”

Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus warned that the nation cannot continue to host more than a million Rohingya without international support. He urged world leaders to help develop a roadmap for repatriation, saying, “We don’t foresee any scope whatsoever for further mobilisation of resources from domestic sources, given our numerous challenges.” Officials in Dhaka maintain that safe and voluntary repatriation with citizenship guarantees is the only long-term solution.

Humanitarian needs in the camps continue to grow. More than 227,000 Rohingya children have been left without access to education after thousands of learning centers were shut down. Rights groups warn of a rise in child marriage and child labor, with the risk of creating a lost generation without schooling, opportunities, or protection. Cuts to food, health and shelter programs have further strained families already struggling to survive.

Amnesty International marked the anniversary by stating that “no one has been held accountable in Myanmar for the crimes committed against the Rohingya” and warned of “a heightened risk of further atrocities.” The organization urged authorities to “comply with international humanitarian law and cooperate with justice mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court.” With camp conditions deteriorating, international aid dwindling and justice still out of reach, refugees say their demand for safe return to Myanmar has become more urgent than ever.