Dhaka has firmly rejected Myanmar’s recent submissions to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Naypyidaw of distorting history by referring to the Rohingya as “Bengalis” and using that narrative to justify atrocities committed during the 2016–17 violence in Rakhine State.

In a statement issued on Saturday (January 24) evening, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Myanmar’s position undermines the Rohingya’s identity, denies their right to self-identification, and seeks to recast crimes against humanity as internal security measures. The government called on Myanmar and “others having authority over Rakhine” to demonstrate a genuine commitment to recognizing the Rohingya as an integral part of Myanmar’s society and to facilitate their safe, voluntary and dignified return through the creation of a conducive environment in Rakhine State.

Bangladesh said Myanmar’s portrayal of the Rohingya as illegal migrants before the ICJ is a calculated attempt to reinforce a false narrative of internal threats, diverting attention from atrocity crimes committed against the community. Dhaka reiterated that the Rohingya are a distinct ethnic group with deep historical roots in Arakan, predating modern borders and the region’s incorporation into the Barman Kingdom in 1785.

The statement noted that the term “Rohingya” evolved historically from the old Arakan capital Mro-Haung (Rohang) and was later adopted by the community for self-identification amid systematic marginalisation. Efforts to depict them as foreigners or recent migrants, Bangladesh said, are inconsistent with historical records, colonial demographic accounts and independent scholarship.

Bangladesh further pointed out that the Rohingya were an integral part of Myanmar’s political and social life until the 1982 Citizenship Law excluded them from citizenship on ethno-religious grounds. Despite long-standing discrimination, they retained voting rights until being fully disenfranchised during Myanmar’s 2015 general elections.

The government said Myanmar’s denial of constitutional guarantees culminated in the mass eviction of Rohingya from Rakhine during 2016–17, rendering them stateless as part of a planned process to destroy the community. The systematic labelling of Rohingya as “Bengalis,” the statement added, has been used to justify exclusion, persecution, and ethnic cleansing.

Bangladesh also recalled that Myanmar had recognized the Rohingya as “lawful residents of Burma” in the 1978 bilateral repatriation agreement and assured their reintegration in subsequent accords, contradicting current claims. Dhaka warned that Myanmar’s failure for more than eight years to create conditions for safe and dignified repatriation violates bilateral arrangements signed in 2017–18 and may indicate an intent to permanently destroy the community.

According to BSS, Bangladesh also rejected Myanmar’s earlier claim that half a million Bangladeshis took refuge in Rakhine during the 1971 Liberation War, noting that Dhaka formally protested the assertion on July 18, 2023, due to the absence of any documentary or demographic evidence.

The foreign ministry reaffirmed Bangladesh’s call for accountability, recognition of the Rohingya as a people, and concrete steps by Myanmar to ensure their rights, safety and dignified reintegration in their homeland.

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