
Rohingya in Bangladesh rally on 8th anniv. of mass exodus from Myanmar
Footage captured the Rohingya community gathered at the Kutupalong camp on Monday, holding placards and banners adorned with messages such as ‘No more refugee life’ and ‘Repatriation: the ultimate solution’. They chanted slogans and sang prayers while demanding their safe return to their homeland and justice for the genocide.
Rohingya activist Sana Ullah voiced the community’s concerns: “We want to return to our country, but there is still a terrible war ongoing in Myanmar. If we return during this conflict, we fear retribution. We won’t return without the assurance of being able to live freely, pursue higher education as citizens, and find work. In our current situation, we don’t want to go back.”
In addition, Rohingya refugee Dos Mohammad called out for justice, declaring, “We do not wish to remain in the camps in Bangladesh; we want to return to Burma (Myanmar). We should be able to go home with the protection of the international community. We urge the world to deliver justice for the genocide. We are grateful to the government and people of Bangladesh for providing shelter, but we want to go back.”
The day was observed as ‘Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day’, with refugees demanding safe, dignified, and voluntary returns to their homeland in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, alongside assurances of citizenship, security, and equal rights.
Following the crackdown by the Myanmar junta government, millions of Rohingyas fled their homeland, reaching Bangladesh on August 25, 2017.
Since then, around 1.25 million Rohingyas have taken refuge in 33 camps in the Ukhia and Teknaf districts of Cox’s Bazar. Repatriation efforts remain stalled due to the continuing volatility in Rakhine State, with refugees fearing return without guarantees of safety, citizenship, and justice.
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