Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has warned that further delays in resolving the Rohingya crisis could worsen conditions for both refugees and communities hosting them, urging the international community to step up efforts to restore stability in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the Rohingya crisis in Dhaka on Sunday, Ahmed said the prolonged displacement of Rohingya was creating growing humanitarian and security challenges in Bangladesh.

“The longer the crisis remains unresolved, the broader the consequences will become,” the minister said, stressing that there was no alternative to finding a lasting solution to the crisis.

The discussion was held at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) auditorium in the capital’s Ramna area and was organized by the Institute for Global Cooperation Foundation (IGCF).

Ahmed highlighted increasing security concerns in and around Rohingya refugee camps, including reports of violence against women and drug trafficking. He said the government was treating the Rohingya issue as a matter of national security while continuing to address the humanitarian needs of the displaced population.

The minister also called for a shift from prolonged humanitarian assistance toward a sustainable political and security solution. He emphasized the need to create conditions that would allow for the safe and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

According to Ahmed, restoring stability in Rakhine State is essential to addressing the crisis and preventing further deterioration of the situation.

The roundtable brought together senior Bangladeshi officials and policymakers, including Foreign Affairs State Minister Shama Obaed Islam, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Public Administration Mohammad Ismail Zabiullah, and Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman.

Bangladesh currently hosts a large Rohingya population, most of whom fled violence and persecution in Myanmar. Dhaka has repeatedly called for international efforts to address the root causes of the crisis and facilitate the refugees’ safe, dignified and sustainable return to Myanmar.

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