Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has announced that Bangladesh is prepared to collaborate with the international community to ensure a "dignified and sustainable return" of the Rohingya population to Myanmar.

"Looking at the evolving ground situation in Myanmar, Bangladesh is ready to work with the international community to create an environment for dignified and sustainable return of the Rohingyas to their homeland," Yunus stated during his address at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

Bangladesh has been hosting over 1.2 million Rohingya refugees for seven years, incurring "significant social-economic-environmental costs," according to the chief adviser. He emphasized that the prolonged crisis in Myanmar poses escalating risks, with serious implications for both national and regional security in Bangladesh, spanning traditional and non-traditional threats.

"We remain committed to supporting the forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar in Bangladesh," Yunus affirmed, while calling for "continued support of the international community towards the Rohingyas in carrying out the humanitarian operations and their sustainable repatriation."

Yunus further stressed the need for justice for the Rohingyas, urging accountability for the "grave human rights violations" they have suffered. He pointed to ongoing processes at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) as crucial steps towards this goal.

"We recognise and appreciate the efforts of the Secretary General and the United Nations system in creating a conducive environment for Rohingyas so that they can lead a free and dignified life," he said, underlining that their safe return to Rakhine State, with full rights, remains a top priority.

The Nobel Laureate concluded by calling for international cooperation to create pathways for the Rohingyas' return to their ancestral home with safety and dignity.

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