Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has called for urgent global and regional cooperation to resolve the protracted Rohingya crisis, appealing directly to Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa during a high-level dinner meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Prof Yunus urged Sasakawa — a prominent Japanese philanthropist and peace negotiator highly regarded in Myanmar — to help facilitate the safe and dignified repatriation of over 1.2 million displaced Rohingya people currently residing in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar camps.
“This is a good moment. We can work together,” said Prof Yunus, warning of the growing instability within the refugee camps where some 35,000 children are born every year, “growing up without any hopes.” He stressed that worsening conditions, including rising drug smuggling and insecurity, pose a growing risk to both Bangladesh and regional stability.
“Help us before it becomes explosive and dangerous for us,” he added.
The dinner was hosted in honor of the visiting Bangladeshi Chief Adviser at the Imperial Hotel by Sasakawa, who leads both the Nippon Foundation and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. According to Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, the two leaders discussed the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Myanmar and the broader decline in global aid to crisis regions.
Prof Yunus praised Sasakawa’s extensive peacebuilding efforts in Myanmar, noting that he has visited the country over 150 times and is held in high regard by both the ruling authorities and over 100 ethnic groups across the conflict-torn nation.
“We know you enjoy deep-rooted admiration from all sides in Myanmar,” Prof Yunus remarked, urging Sasakawa to use his influence to help create a pathway for repatriation and reconciliation.
The Chief Adviser also sought the Nippon Foundation’s assistance for the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), which is facing operational strain following a suspension of U.S. aid. He emphasized the critical nature of the institute’s life-saving healthcare research and appealed for support to maintain its global contributions.
In a broader appeal to the international community, Prof Yunus highlighted the sharp decline in humanitarian aid and called on major global powers to act with consciousness and responsibility.
“The Rohingya crisis is not a local issue. It is a global humanitarian and security challenge,” he said. “We urge the big powers to wake up to this reality and act not out of convenience but conscience.”
He emphasized that the world cannot turn away from the plight of displaced communities, especially when the risks of radicalization, regional insecurity, and humanitarian collapse are looming.
Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain, Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, and SDG Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Murshed also joined the dinner. After the meeting, Prof Yunus engaged with senior Japanese dignitaries and members of the Bangladeshi diaspora in Japan.
The meeting marks a significant diplomatic outreach in Tokyo as Prof Yunus continues to mobilize international support for a sustainable and peaceful resolution to one of the world’s most pressing refugee crises.
BOB Post
