Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam on Sunday said Bangladesh, along with the international community, will continue to stress the urgent need for smooth funding for the Rohingya response, noting that the three-day international conference will highlight a worsening humanitarian crisis if adequate support is not forthcoming.
"One of the aims of this three-day conference is to highlight the necessity of the funding," Siam told UNB in response to a question.
The foreign secretary said they are reaching out to all available sources of funding and are exploring options beyond traditional donors. "We are trying to explore whether there are any funding opportunities beyond the traditional sources," he added.
The three-day international conference titled Stakeholders’ Dialogue: Takeaways to the High-Level Conference on Rohingya Situation began on Sunday afternoon in Cox’s Bazar as the interim government engages with global stakeholders to find solutions to the prolonged crisis.
Siam said Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus will inaugurate the main session of the conference on Monday.
Disaster Management and Relief Adviser Faruk-e-Azam, Bir Protik, High Representative for the Rohingya Issue and National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, UN Resident Coordinator Rana Flowers, Head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) Nicholas Koumjian, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar Thomas H Andrews, and UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner Raouf Mazou are also attending.
Asked about prospects for Rohingya repatriation, Siam said Bangladesh’s diplomatic efforts are ongoing, but the progress depends on the situation inside Myanmar.
The conference began with a special session involving Rohingya representatives under the theme Confidence-building measures towards a conducive environment for repatriation of Rohingyas.
Siam said the frustrations, desires and aspirations of Rohingyas will be incorporated into the conference outcome document, which will be presented at a high-level event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on September 30.
Bangladesh, which is hosting over 1.3 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, is working towards a roadmap for their safe and dignified return to Myanmar.
The dialogue aims to generate concrete recommendations from participants as takeaways for the upcoming high-level conference in New York, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Office of the High Representative for the Rohingya Issue and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are organising the dialogue. Experts from home and abroad, diplomats, Rohingya representatives, international organisations and academics are participating.
The voices of Rohingya men, women and youths will feature prominently, giving the international community an opportunity to hear their perspectives, aspirations and expectations.
The dialogue is also expected to take stock of funding gaps for the camps, recent developments in Rakhine, dignified repatriation and a long-term sustainable solution.
It includes five thematic sessions on humanitarian assistance, confidence-building for repatriation, accountability for atrocities, and ways to ensure a sustainable, time-bound and actionable solution.
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said two more international conferences are scheduled later this year in New York and Doha, with the largest in the last week of September in New York.
He said Rohingya representatives, delegates from 40 countries, diplomats in Dhaka and representatives from UN agencies will join the Cox’s Bazar conference. A special discussion with Rohingya representatives will take place on August 24.
The three-day conference is highlighting issues of repatriation, funding and a comprehensive roadmap for their safe return.
Around 170 countries are expected at the high-level conference on the Rohingya and other minorities in Myanmar on September 30 in New York.
Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain recently said the government is working on three fronts — uninterrupted funding, keeping the issue alive amid global crises, and ensuring safe and dignified return.
“The issue should not be forgotten. We continuously bring it to focus. We are working on three fronts,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bangladesh has sought intensified humanitarian contributions, stressing that the pressure on its economy, environment and local communities is unsustainable.
"We are facing mounting humanitarian, developmental and security-related challenges," Adviser Hossain said recently at the OIC Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee on Accountability for Human Rights Violations against the Rohingyas.
Bangladesh has shown ‘extraordinary compassion and responsibility’ by sheltering over 1.3 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas despite mounting crises.
UNHCR and humanitarian partners are mobilizing to respond to the needs of up to 150,000 Rohingya who have arrived in Cox’s Bazar over the past 18 months.
Targeted violence and persecution in Rakhine State, alongside the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, continue to drive thousands into Bangladesh.
This influx, spread over months, is the largest since 2017, when some 750,000 fled deadly violence in Rakhine.
More humanitarian support is urgently needed as the new arrivals are largely dependent on camp solidarity, further straining resources.
