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Muslim refugees in Bangladesh demand safe return to Myanmar
Tens of thousands of Muslim refugees from Myanmar living in dozens of camps in Bangladesh are marking the eighth anniversary of their mass exodus with a three-day international conference titled "Stakeholders' Dialogue: Takeaways to the High-Level Conference on Rohingya Situation" in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
25 Aug 2025

DMG Newsroom
25 August 2025, Maungdaw
Tens of thousands of Muslim refugees from Myanmar living in dozens of camps in Bangladesh are marking the eighth anniversary of their mass exodus with a three-day international conference titled "Stakeholders' Dialogue: Takeaways to the High-Level Conference on Rohingya Situation" in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
The eighth anniversary of the Muslim mass exodus was marked in refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, where Muslim refugees held protests over their repatriation to Myanmar and called on the international community to address their needs.
"It is not certain that the Muslim refugees will be able to return home," said a political analyst in Arakan State. "This is because we still need to have extensive discussions with the Bangladeshi authorities and international mediators, including the Arakan Army, which currently controls most territories in Arakan State. Currently, Muslim terrorist groups, including the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, are disrupting regional stability and fighting on the border."
The Bangladeshi government is also hosting an international conference in Cox's Bazar from August 24 to 26 to coincide with the eighth anniversary of the Muslim mass exodus and address the plight of Muslim refugees.
At the conference, attended by foreign ministers and representatives from agencies of the United Nations, discussions will be held on issues including the freezing of funds for Muslim refugees, repatriation, and matters related to the genocide of Myanmar's ethnic groups by the Myanmar military.
The eighth anniversary of the Muslim mass exodus and the holding of an international conference have increased the global community's attention to the plight of the refugees, according to activists advocating for them.
Ro Nay San Lwin, Co-Chair of the Arakan Rohingya National Council (ARNC), told Al Jazeera on August 24 regarding the conference that "this is the first time in eight years that Muslims have been able to voice their opinions."
The conference is a preparatory meeting for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September, focusing on the issue of Muslim refugees. It is understood that the UN and international representatives attending the conference will conduct field visits to refugee camps on August 26.
Although the United Nations and international organisations are exerting pressure for the repatriation of Muslim refugees, Myanmar is currently embroiled in complex conflicts involving military and political disputes across the country, including in Arakan State.
"If the Arakanese people gain power, there will be no place for you. That's why the military regime has organised Muslims and provided military training to them. Then, the military regime also supplied ARSA with weapons and forced the Muslim armed group to fight the AA. These things serve as big obstacles to living together peacefully," said a local resident in Maungdaw Township.
"When it comes to the Muslim refugee issue, the Myanmar regime is primarily responsible. But now, even though Muslims abroad are blaming AA, they have left out ARSA. Since the ARSA played a major role in this issue, we must be careful about putting pressure on this group and then starting the Muslim return process," the Maungdaw resident added.
Bangladesh's Muslim refugee camps are facing a shortage of international funding and food challenges.
More than 700,000 Muslims from Arakan State fled to Bangladesh due to violence by the Myanmar military in 2017, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. There are currently over 1.1 million people in refugee camps in Bangladesh, according to a UNHCR statement on August 13.