Bangladesh is making a renewed diplomatic push, calling on Malaysia to leverage its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to galvanize international action on the protracted Rohingya refugee crisis. The call comes amid a worsening humanitarian situation, as fresh waves of Rohingya continue to flee violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and the resources of host countries, especially Bangladesh, are stretched to their limits.
Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to Bangladesh’s government and Nobel laureate, emphasized Malaysia’s unique position in a recent interview with the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama). "We are hoping that Malaysia will put its influence in the whole negotiation to make sure that we can overcome this problem," Yunus said, underscoring the urgency of coordinated regional action. He explained that Malaysia’s experience in hosting Rohingya refugees and its current leadership of ASEAN place it at the forefront of potential solutions.
Bangladesh’s appeal to Malaysia comes at a critical juncture. Over the past 18 months alone, 150,000 new Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh, joining the 1.2 million already living in camps, according to Bernama. This influx has been driven by renewed fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, particularly between the Arakan Army and government forces. The conflict has not only forced more Rohingya to flee but has also made any prospects for their safe return increasingly remote.
Yunus did not mince words about the mounting challenges. "It becomes more and more acute. And worst of it, the US cut off all the funds to maintain them. So that is a huge problem for us," he told Bernama. The cessation of United States funding has left a significant gap in resources for the care and maintenance of refugees, exacerbating an already dire situation. For Bangladesh, which has carried the brunt of the crisis since 2017, the financial and humanitarian toll is becoming unsustainable.
The situation is further complicated by the lack of progress on repatriation efforts. Since the military coup in Myanmar in 2021, the country has been engulfed in civil conflict, making the safe and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees nearly impossible. Despite repeated pledges and international pressure, conditions in Rakhine State remain perilous, and the Myanmar government has shown little willingness to facilitate repatriation. The crisis, which began in 2017 with a brutal military crackdown that forced over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh, has only deepened over time.
In response to these escalating challenges, Bangladesh is spearheading a series of high-level international conferences aimed at finding a sustainable solution. The first of these is scheduled for late August in Cox’s Bazar, the site of the world’s largest refugee settlement and a poignant symbol of the crisis. This meeting will coincide with the eighth anniversary of Bangladesh’s assumption of responsibility for hosting Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Rakhine State.
The second conference is set to take place in September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, bringing the issue to the attention of the global community at one of the world’s most visible diplomatic stages. A third conference is planned for December in Doha, Qatar, aiming to maintain momentum and pressure for action as the year comes to a close.
Malaysia’s role in this diplomatic effort is seen as pivotal. Although Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, it has nevertheless provided temporary humanitarian shelter to nearly 150,000 Rohingya refugees. This experience, combined with its influence as ASEAN Chair, could help drive a more coordinated and effective regional response. "Malaysia’s experience in hosting Rohingya refugees, combined with its leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), positions it as a key player in driving a coordinated regional response," Yunus told Bernama.
The crisis is not limited to Bangladesh and Malaysia. Other ASEAN countries, including Thailand and Indonesia, have also seen arrivals of Rohingya refugees and are grappling with their own humanitarian and political challenges. The scale of the crisis, and its persistence over years, has made it a regional issue that demands collective action rather than piecemeal responses.
Despite the urgency, progress has been slow. The ongoing armed conflict in Myanmar continues to undermine any hopes for a political or humanitarian breakthrough. According to Bernama, repatriation efforts have made little headway, often stalling due to security concerns and a lack of guarantees for the safety and rights of returnees. The Rohingya themselves, many of whom have spent years in limbo, remain uncertain about their future and skeptical of promises made by the Myanmar authorities.
The financial dimension of the crisis cannot be overlooked. With the United States having cut off funding for refugee support, Bangladesh and other host countries face mounting costs. International aid agencies have warned that food rations and essential services could be further reduced if new funding is not secured. The strain is palpable in camps like Cox’s Bazar, where overcrowding, limited resources, and the constant threat of disease and violence make daily life a struggle.
Bangladesh’s decision to mark the eighth anniversary of its hosting of Rohingya refugees with a major international conference in Cox’s Bazar is both a reflection of its commitment and a signal to the world that the crisis cannot be ignored. The hope is that by rallying regional and international partners—especially through Malaysia’s ASEAN leadership—new avenues for support and solutions can be found.
Yunus, in his interview, stressed the need for a comprehensive regional solution that addresses not only immediate humanitarian needs but also the root causes of displacement. The involvement of ASEAN is seen as crucial, given the organization’s ability to convene member states and foster dialogue. However, some observers caution that ASEAN’s principle of non-interference and its consensus-based decision-making can sometimes hamper decisive action. Still, with Malaysia at the helm, there is cautious optimism that a more robust approach might emerge.
The coming months will be critical. The three planned conferences represent an opportunity to refocus global attention on the Rohingya crisis and to push for concrete commitments from both regional and international actors. For the refugees themselves, the stakes could not be higher. Without renewed support and coordinated action, their plight is likely to worsen, and the region as a whole will continue to bear the consequences of this unresolved humanitarian tragedy.
As Bangladesh looks to Malaysia and the broader international community for leadership, the world will be watching to see if this latest diplomatic push can finally break the deadlock and offer hope to one of the world’s most persecuted and vulnerable populations.