On August 25, 2025, the dusty fields of Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district pulsed with the voices of tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees. They gathered beneath the heavy monsoon sky, banners fluttering with stark messages: “No more refugee life” and “Repatriation the ultimate solution.” For these men, women, and children, the day marked a somber milestone—eight years since the mass exodus from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, a tragedy commemorated as Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day.
The scale of the gathering was a testament to the resilience and frustration of a community that has endured years of displacement. Since August 25, 2017, over 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar following a brutal military crackdown that, according to the United Nations, amounted to genocide. They joined more than 300,000 who had already escaped previous waves of violence. Today, more than 1.1 million Rohingya remain in Bangladesh, and new arrivals continue to trickle in as Myanmar’s internal strife deepens.
“We are here today because the Myanmar military and the Arakan army committed genocide against our community. We are here today to remember the people who lost their lives and who sacrificed their lives for being Muslim,” 19-year-old Nur Aziz told The Associated Press, his voice echoing the pain of a generation born and raised in exile. Aziz and many like him made clear their singular demand: “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.”
The day’s events were not just about remembrance, but also about action. In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus addressed a conference attended by international dignitaries, United Nations representatives, and diplomats. Yunus, who has long been a vocal advocate for the Rohingya, laid out a seven-point plan to break the deadlock. “Their right to return to their own home and homeland has to be secured,” he declared, calling for “a practical roadmap for their safe and dignified, voluntary and sustainable return… The time is for action right now.” (Al Jazeera)
Yunus’s proposals are ambitious. They call for an immediate end to violence in Myanmar, platforms for dialogue between ethnic groups, and stronger involvement from ASEAN and regional powers to restore stability. He urged the global community to stand firm against what he described as Myanmar’s “heinous crime of ethnic cleansing” and to reconsider relations with the country’s military regime. Central to his plan is justice: Yunus insisted that renewed momentum at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC) is essential to ending the genocide and ensuring the Rohingya’s safe return.
Bangladesh’s patience, Yunus warned, is wearing thin. “The impact on our economy, resources, environment, ecosystem, society, and governance has been huge. I thank our host community and the people of Bangladesh for their wholehearted support and enormous sacrifices,” he said. With more than 1.5 million Rohingya now in the country, Bangladesh is straining under the weight of its humanitarian commitment. Aid cuts by donors, especially after the United States froze humanitarian funding, have only worsened the situation. The World Food Programme, which had relied on US contributions for almost half its 2024 budget, warned this month that 57 percent of families in central Rakhine cannot meet their basic food needs. Inside the camps, food shortages are a daily reality; refugees survive on a monthly ration card worth about $12.
Despite Bangladesh’s repeated attempts—at least twice since 2017—to arrange repatriation, the prospects for a safe and voluntary return remain bleak. The rise of the Arakan Army, an insurgent group battling Myanmar government soldiers, has only added to the uncertainty. Ongoing fighting across the border makes any repatriation effort perilous, a point underscored by Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng, who reported that “it’s still a very unstable situation inside Myanmar. So what Bangladesh or the rest of the international communities can do to get them home at this stage is very hard to see.”
International support has not gone unnoticed. On August 25, 2025, diplomatic missions from 11 countries—including the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Canada, and several Nordic nations—issued a joint statement reaffirming their backing for Bangladesh and the Rohingya. “After eight years, the international community stands steadfast with the Rohingya and Bangladesh, committed to seeking long-term durable solutions to the crisis and addressing its root causes,” the statement read. The diplomats stressed the importance of meaningful engagement and inclusive representation of Rohingya in decisions that affect their lives, both in Bangladesh and for any eventual return to Myanmar.
The joint statement also acknowledged the resilience of the Rohingya in the face of ongoing hardship and displacement. But it did not shy away from the grim reality: “Conditions in Myanmar do not currently allow for their voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return.” The diplomats condemned the escalating violence and human rights abuses by Myanmar’s military regime and other armed actors, calling for an immediate end to all acts of violence and for safe, unimpeded humanitarian access. They also advocated for more durable solutions for Rohingya refugees, such as enhancing self-reliance and preparing them for eventual repatriation, while continuing to support Bangladeshi host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
The quest for justice remains central to the Rohingya’s hopes. In 2022, the ICJ advanced a case against Myanmar, brought by The Gambia, investigating responsibility for the genocide. The ICC prosecutor, in 2024, requested an international arrest warrant for Myanmar’s military ruler, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, for his role in the persecution of the Rohingya. Rights groups, too, have pressed the world not to forget. “Eight years on from the start of the Myanmar military’s genocidal attacks against Rohingya, not a single person has been held criminally responsible. This is a deep stain on the world’s conscience,” said Patrick Phongsathorn, Senior Advocate at Fortify Rights. “It’s not too late to address this injustice. The UN Security Council should immediately refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, and all UN Member States should explore every possible avenue to pursue justice for the Rohingya.”
As the world prepares for a High-Level Conference in September 2025 to discuss durable solutions for the Rohingya and support for host communities, the urgency is clear. Bangladesh’s leaders, international diplomats, and the refugees themselves are all calling for action, not just words. The path forward is fraught with political, logistical, and humanitarian challenges—yet for the Rohingya, the dream of returning home with dignity, safety, and full rights remains undimmed.
For now, the fields of Kutupalong echo with voices that refuse to be silenced, demanding justice, remembrance, and a future beyond the barbed wire of the camps.
