Cox’s Bazar is set to host an international conference on the Rohingya crisis on September 30 under the initiative of the United Nations, National Security Adviser and High Representative on Rohingya Affairs to the Chief Adviser, Dr. Khalilur Rahman Rahman, announced on Sunday (August 17).

Briefing foreign diplomats at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, Dr. Rahman emphasized that the conference will serve as a crucial step in the preparation for a larger UN-led summit aimed at finding a sustainable and genuine solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis. Envoys from various countries and international organizations based in Bangladesh attended the briefing.

“The Cox’s Bazar conference is not just a dialogue, it is an opportunity to set the direction toward a permanent and real solution for the Rohingya and for the global community,” Dr. Rahman said. He stressed that the voices, hopes, and aspirations of the Rohingya must be represented at the event, even though they are not a UN member state. Bangladesh, he added, is facilitating this representation on their behalf.

He recalled that the Rohingya issue had nearly slipped from the international agenda, but the Chief Adviser’s appeal at the UN General Assembly last year to convene an international conference revived global attention. The proposal received immediate and unanimous support, with 106 countries sponsoring the initiative.

As a precursor, a stakeholder dialogue titled “Messages for the High-Level Conference on Rohingya” will be held in Cox’s Bazar on August 25 to shape the agenda and recommendations for the September 30 event.

Bangladesh currently hosts over a million displaced Rohingya, creating immense social, economic, and security pressures. Officials reiterated that while humanitarian aid is crucial, repatriation to their homeland in Myanmar remains the only durable solution.

“This crisis cannot remain in limbo indefinitely. Repatriation of the Rohingya to Myanmar, in safety and dignity, is the ultimate goal,” Dr. Rahman stressed.

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