The Bangladesh government is fully committed to resolving conflicts between Rohingya refugees and host communities in the Cox’s Bazar region, said Shamsuddauja Nayan, Additional Commissioner of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC), during a workshop held on Wednesday.

Speaking at a session on peace mediation and conflict resolution in the Ukhia-Teknaf area, Nayan emphasized the importance of combating misinformation and rumors circulating on social media about the Rohingya refugee camps. The workshop was organized by the national NGO FIVDB with technical and financial support from the GIZ SHADE Project, under the German international aid agency BMZ.

Nayan urged all stakeholders to work together to address rising tensions and promote peaceful coexistence. “Mediation can play a crucial role in conflict resolution,” he said. “Accurate information dissemination is essential to increase public awareness and prevent unnecessary unrest.”

The workshop highlighted an ongoing initiative jointly implemented by GIZ and FIVDB to support socioeconomic development and reduce both intra- and inter-community conflicts among Rohingya refugees and host residents in Ukhia-Teknaf. As part of the project, 320 trained mediators—equally divided between men and women, and between the host and Rohingya communities—are working to resolve disputes quickly and transparently, bypassing delays in the traditional legal system.

The mediation mechanism has already begun yielding positive results, offering local residents faster solutions to everyday conflicts and helping maintain social harmony in the refugee-hosting region.

Representatives from international and local organizations, including UNHCR and IOM, attended the event and expressed their support for the ongoing peace-building initiatives.

Other speakers included Senior Assistant Judge and District Legal Aid Officer Shazzatun Nessa Lipi, Camp In-Charges Khanzada Shahriar Bin Mannan and Mostaq Ahmed, Assistant Camp In-Charge Shafiqul Bari, GIZ SHADE Project Head of Programs Alexander Betz, Conflict and Crisis Adviser Zahid Hasan, FIVDB Executive Director Bazle Mostafa Razee, and Mohiuddin Sardar.

Mobasserul Islam, Law Specialist of the SHADE project, and Hasan Ahamed Chowdhury, FIVDB Coordinator, presented program updates and responded to queries from participants.

BOB Post