Bangladesh has called for stronger international parliamentary advocacy to keep the Rohingya crisis high on the global agenda and help create conditions for their early, safe and sustainable return to Myanmar.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam made the appeal during a meeting with visiting Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Secretary General Anda Filip at the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka, according to a ministry press release.

According to BSS, Shama described the prolonged Rohingya crisis as an “untenable situation” and urged parliamentarians around the world to step up efforts to support a durable solution to the crisis. She stressed that sustained political pressure was necessary to create an environment conducive to the voluntary return of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas.

Bangladesh is currently hosting more than one million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char. Previous efforts to launch repatriation have stalled, largely because conditions in Myanmar have remained inadequate for a safe and sustainable return.

The state minister also briefed Filip on Bangladesh’s efforts to strengthen democracy and democratic institutions, reaffirming the government’s commitment to inclusive governance and accountability.

Filip welcomed the government’s initiatives and reaffirmed the IPU’s readiness to expand cooperation with Bangladesh through parliamentary exchanges, experience sharing and capacity-building programmes aimed at strengthening democratic practices.

Shama welcomed Filip to Bangladesh and congratulated her on becoming the first woman to serve as IPU secretary general in the organisation’s more than 130-year history. She also praised the IPU’s longstanding contribution to parliamentary democracy, peace, human rights and inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The meeting also touched on growing concerns over digital harassment, misinformation and disinformation, particularly those targeting women and girls. Shama called for stronger parliamentary cooperation to improve digital safety and tackle emerging threats in the online space.

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