Rohingya actually number over 1.5 million, safe repatriation the only lasting solution: home minister
Photo: Collected
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said that although official documents show a lower number, there are actually more than 1.5 million (15 lakh) Rohingya in the country. In his view, there is only one way to resolve the crisis permanently: returning the Rohingya to their own country, Myanmar, safely, voluntarily and with dignity.
Kelly E. Curry, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, went to meet the minister at his office in the Home Ministry at the Secretariat on Wednesday. The minister made the remarks at that meeting.
Their discussion covered the current political and human rights situation in Myanmar, the repatriation of Rohingya sheltered in Bangladesh, border security and law and order in the Rohingya camps.
The home minister said that providing shelter and humanitarian assistance to this huge population year after year is putting heavy pressure on Bangladesh’s economy. Therefore, ensuring the safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation of the Rohingya should be at the centre of all efforts of the international community.
The verdict in the case over the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will be delivered on 19 November. The minister said the international community must play a responsible and effective role after the verdict.
Kelly E. Curry highly praised the Bangladesh government for providing humanitarian shelter and services to the displaced Rohingya for a long time. Referring to the historic human rights violations against the Rohingya, she said the UN and international partners are continuing to work to create an environment suitable for repatriation and to ensure their citizenship and fundamental rights in Myanmar.
The issue of increasing the capacity of law enforcement agencies to curb drug and arms smuggling and cybercrime around the Rohingya camps also came up in the discussion. The two sides had a positive exchange of views on providing necessary training, modern technology and technical assistance.
The meeting also stressed that influential countries, including China, India, the United States and the European Union, should jointly increase diplomatic pressure on Myanmar.
During the meeting, the Special Rapporteur’s travel companion Thomas Hunecke, Additional Secretary of the Political and Immigration Wing of the Home Ministry Dr Ziauddin Ahmed and Joint Secretary of Political-1 Branch Rebeka Khan were present.
Background
According to a Reuters report of 3 November 2026, the case was filed by The Gambia in 2019. The country argues that the 2017 offensive by Myanmar’s government forces, which forced at least 730,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, amounted to genocide. Myanmar has denied the allegation, calling the operation a legitimate counter-terrorism campaign.
A question-and-answer publication by Human Rights Watch on 3 November 2026 said the ICJ held hearings on the merits of the case in January 2026.
At a glance
According to the same Reuters report, the judges will begin reading the verdict at 8:00 GMT on 19 November. It will be the first verdict in a genocide case in more than a decade, and only the third such verdict in the ICJ’s history.
Sources
Background sources: Reuters (published in ThePrint), 3 November 2026; Human Rights Watch, 3 November 2026
