The Stateless Rohingya Blog

Early solution to refugee issue stressed  Bangladesh has reiterated its position over Myanmar refugee issue and mentioned that it considers the voluntary repatriation of the refugees to their homes in Rakhine State as the only durable solution to the protracted refugee situation in Cox's Bazar, reports UNB. Newly appointed ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Offices in Geneva and Vienna M Shameem Ahsan said this while addressing the annual meeting of UNHCR's governing Executive Committee in Geneva Wednesday, said a foreign ministry media release in Dhaka Thursday. He alluded to the positive momentum generated by the recently concluded Foreign Office Consultations between Bangladesh and Myanmar in Dhaka. The envoy stressed the need for gearing up the momentum to resume voluntary repatriation of the Myanmar refugees from Bangladesh. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Bangladesh's attachment with the United N...

The European Rohingya Council (ERC), a Netherlands-based NGO, has requested the people and government of Bangladesh to play a key role in finding out a ‘just and lasting’ solution to the longstanding Rohingya problem in the interest of Bangladesh and ‘persecuted’ Rohingya people.  The organisation requested Bangladesh government to continue sheltering Rohingya refugees on humanitarian grounds until a congenial atmosphere is created for their safe return to their homeland. “Please help us, save us. We want peace and we want to go back to our homeland,” Media and Information Secretary of ERC Mohamed Ibrahim told reporters at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU). He appreciated government’s initiatives to resolve the crisis and said Rohingya refugees would get rid of sufferings if Bangladesh takes serious steps with its neighbors.  “We’re grateful to the people and government of Bangladesh for sheltering a large number of our people for a long time o...

Myanmar polices walk along with census enumerators as they collect information at Thae Chaung village in Sittwe, Rakhine State, western Myanmar, Tuesday, April 01, 2014. — AP photo By Muhammad Zamir Financial Express BGD April 14, 2014 As Myanmar continues its efforts to roll back half-a-century of totalitarianism and usher in a comprehensive democratic process, controversy has found a new niche within its public realm. The latest nationwide census undertaken throughout Myanmar was initiated on an upbeat note. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) came forward to help the Myanmar government complete the much needed task. Frederick Okwayo, a census adviser, explained to the media that there was need for completion of the coding list of the 135 ethnic groups who are supposed to constitute the population of Myanmar. As indicated by Okwayo, such a census of the population was imperative 'for any planning - be it planning for basic education, planning for health ...

By Financial Express February 21, 2014 The USA on Thursday assured its full support for implementing the first ever national strategy over the issue of Rohingya refugees and undocumented Myanmar citizens in Bangladesh. The assurance came at a meeting between Anne C Richard, US assistant secretary of Bureau of Population, Refugee and Migration (PRM), and Shahidul Haque, the Foreign Secretary Richard appreciated Dhaka’s efforts to address Myanmar refugee issue. Later, Shahidul Haque met with Rose Gottemoeller, acting under secretary for arms control and international security at the US Department of State and discussed wide range of global issues of mutual interests including security issues, according to a foreign ministry release.

Financial Express 10 March 2013 Nizam Ahmed A senior official of the United States (US) is expected to visit Bangladesh, Myanmar and Japan for a week from Tuesday next to discuss issues relating to conflicts in Myanmar and exodus of refugees from the country, officials said on Saturday. US State Department Senior Advisor for Myanmar Mr W. Patrick Murphy will undertake the tour at such a time when fleeing Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have become a matter of concern for neighbouring countries. The intrusion of Rohingyas in the south and the southeast Asian countries including Bangladesh have increased following spells of communal riots between Rohingya Muslims and local Buddhists in Rakhine state, in western Myanmar since June last year. Bangladesh, which has been hosting about 400,000 unregistered refugees from Myanmar, sent back several hundred Rohingyas who wanted to take refuge in the country fleeing the recent communal riots in Myanmar. However, befo...